COMMISSION: Named Heir
by Bolmung LK
Summary: Written for dw77. Emperor Charles has died from an incurable illness. In his will he named Lelouch as the new Emperor. Now Lelouch must become Emperor of Britannia while juggling his Zero persona too. When things begin to fall apart Zero orders Kallen to become Lelouch's Knight and she must serve both Lelouch and Zero without knowing they're the same person. KalLulu slight Harem
1. I Just Can't Wait To Be King!

**COMMISSION: Named Heir**

_Ch. I - I Just Can't Wait To Be King!_**  
**

A strange feeling swept the gymnasium; almost an awkward stifling silence that couldn't be cut. It was the day the Britannian Empire dreaded for over fifty years; the day Emperor Charles met his end. For the last seven months Charles Zi Britannia had fallen ill. His last few weeks were filled with hospital-bed ridden outbreaks and final farewells from his heirs. Lelouch rejoiced secretly inside his mind in this fact. His enemy had basically killed himself! The entire world watched the public announcement of his death. Some countries rejoiced in his passing, others mourned it immensely. Britannia was now on the precipice of an over-taking; no one knew who the next Emperor or Empress would be. Some believed Schneizel or Cornelia would take over, but according to the current announcement that statement was wrong.

"_**We now will air live the will of his highness that he left behind only days before his departure." **_The man on the big screen said stiffly.

Ashford Academy School had all of its students assemble into the gymnasium to watch the live announcement on their biggest screen. Shirley stood directly to Lelouch's left with Rival on his right. Shirley and Rival didn't know of Lelouch's claim to the throne, the only ones who knew were Suzaku, Nunnally and Milly. Many had asked if he was named in honor of the deceased prince, but Lelouch would always claim that it was just a popular name at the time. Unfortunately after this speech the whole world would know the truth…

"_**I leave the throne of Britannia behind in my wake; to be picked up again by an heir. I have had much time to think of my successor. As I write this I am thinking of his glorious honor; for he and only he is worthy out of all my offspring to rule this world into the future. I declare the next Emperor of Britannia, Lelouch Vi Britannia, eldest son of my late wife, Marianne Lamperouge. He is currently away on renaissance duty in Area Eleven under the name Lelouch Lamperouge."**_

Everyone in the entire gymnasium turned to look at Lelouch, who could only gawk at the screen in absolute dismay. It didn't matter if this was actually happening or if it was some sort of lucid dream; Lelouch's heart flew into his head were it pounded in his ears like hammers on nails.

"_**Lelouch asked me to declare he and his younger sister Nunnally Vi Britannia deceased so that he may experience the commoner life for themselves. This is his personal mission to help the Britannian masses from their perspective. I accepted his plea to help the commoners by doing such a valiant act of heroism for his own country. This was one of the many glorious reasons I have chosen Lelouch to be my successor. He shall make a fine King; a grand Emperor."**_

"Lelou, is this….this true…?" Shirley asked as she felt her pulse also rise tremendously.

Lelouch couldn't answer; all he could do was glance around at everyone who was now whispering to themselves.

"_**Britannian civilians and nobles alike; wherever you are halt your progress towards the future for one moment to bow to your new ruler. All hail Emperor Lelouch!"**_

"All hail Emperor Lelouch!" the gymnasium echoed over and over again. The echo felt more like a hypnotism than a cheer in Lelouch's ears; and the same for Shirley as she was one of the few not bowing or cheering.

Lelouch and Shirley's eyes locked together in a moment of sheer disbelief and distrust. Shirley trusted him, or so she used to. She turned on her heel and ran out of the gym hysterically, leaving Lelouch behind to wallow in his own "glory". Suzaku from across the room didn't budge or say anything; he knew the whole speech was a lie. He knew the truth about Lelouch and Nunnally. Kallen on the other hand had no choice but to believe it. During her time with the Black Knights she knew that Lelouch was connected to the royal family somehow. Zero ordered the Black Knights to research the royal family thoroughly and of course Lelouch being the name of a deceased prince and Lamperouge was the name of the late Queen Marianne. A triangle of sheer static tension formed as Kallen eyed down Lelouch who looked to Suzaku for sympathy. Suzaku could only return Lelouch's worried stare with an equally mortified reaction. Lelouch took a couple steps back as if to run away, but Milly came running up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. She pulled him out of the gym and ran with him down the hall as nearly the entire gym followed.

"Emperor Lulu!" some girls cried out in ecstasy.

Many other praising students followed them out of the massive echoing gym and into the halls that were large enough to fit several hundred students at a time. Milly lead Lelouch to the password protected elevator where they'd be safe from anyone else trying to bother Lelouch. Milly commanded the elevator go to the bottom floor, which was well below any student-accessible basement. After the elevator stopped Milly brought Lelouch to her grandfather's main office, which resided in the lowest point of the entire Ashford campus. Milly knocked on the door and waited for her old man's reply. Once permitted entrance Milly sat the trembling Lelouch down and approached the shriveled elder man behind the desk.

"Grandpa, surely you were watching the news." Milly said in one of the most serious tones Lelouch had ever heard her speak in.

"Yes, I did." The man said as he placed his elbows on the table, folded his hands together and sighed deeply. "I didn't expect this day to come so quickly, or ever at all!" he said tiresomely. "Lelouch, have you considered this offer for even a moment? I know the announcement was made only minutes ago, but has the thought crossed your mind to accept?" he asked pensively.

Lelouch opened his mouth to speak, but only an awkward noise escaped before he closed his mouth. He slumped into his chair allowing his legs to sprawl out with his right arm dangling from the side of the chair and his left hand covering his forehead and eyes. His entire posture screamed out his internal feelings, 'nervous wreck'. Milly gave a nervous smile, she knew Lelouch was Prince of Britannia, but he had renounced his claim to the throne years ago, she wasn't prepared to ever see her darling Lelou go into office as Emperor. She had envisioned that if Lelouch and Nunnally ever returned to the royal family that it'd be as Prince and Princess or just as familiars; not as Emperor or Empress.

"Lelou, you have to have a concise answer before you even think of confronting the public. You have to know if you are completely against this or all for it." Milly said as she crossed her arms and looked down at him.

"I know that, I just don't know how I feel yet. I hated Britannia….I hated the royal family too. I don't think I could stand going back and joining them to lead this country." Lelouch breathed jaggedly, the peril evident in his shivering voice as his left hand latched onto the bangs of his hair tightly.

"Yes, you hate it all," Milly kneeled down beside him and placed her hands on his stiff left arm. "But think of this as your chance to change this country for the better! As Emperor you can do anything! You can stop the wars, feed the hungry and even help third world nations rebuild themselves! You have a wonderful heart and an intelligent mind Lelouch, and now you've been given power too! Use this chance to help those who cannot help themselves! Be the first to rule this country the **right way**!" Milly pleaded almost as if she were a homeless orphan begging for food scraps. Lelouch could feel the pleas of the entire world inside Milly's beseeching voice.

**The chance to help those who cannot help themselves. **This was an all-too familiar phrase in his mind. Nunnally was helpless, he'd always wanted to make the world gentler for her sake. Then there's the Black Knights who stand for justice, they defeat the powerful to save the weak. This was now the clearest option he could take. He could over-throw this world so fast and fiercely. A smile that Milly could tell wasn't too pleasant spread across his otherwise unmarred face.

"Milly, you're absolutely right. Why should I be scared of becoming Emperor when I can change this world? I'll do it! I'll make sure Nunnally will live in a peaceful world!" he said as he suddenly stood up valiantly as a ruler should. "Ruben Ashford, you wish to regain your status within Britannia?" Lelouch asked as he turned his attention to the elder man.

"Of course I do, but you should have more pressing matters to worry about than me." Ruben smiled at the youth.

"Nonsense! Milly said before I give the public my answer that I should be prepared, right?" Lelouch smirked. "Well I'm deciding my Chancellor right now. Ruben K. Ashford, would you be my personal assistant in all matters personal and professional?" Lelouch asked in his best dominant voice.

"It'd be the greatest honor I could imagine, **your highness**!" Ruben leapt from his seat and bowed to Lelouch courtesy.

"Woo hoo!" Milly cheered with her fist in the air. This was the Prince Lelouch she'd been waiting to see since she'd first met him as a small child.

"Milly." Lelouch turned to her in a less serious tone.

"Yes, my darling Lelou?" Milly giggled happily.

"Would you please become Nunnally's personal guardian, it'd mean a lot to her." He smiled at the joyous blonde.

"Of course!" Milly hugged him tightly which he returned.

_**XxXxX**_

Lelouch had it all figured out already, thinking was always his strong point. He'd had less than thirty minutes to come to his conclusions, any normal person would have lost their mind; not Lelouch. He'd continue being Zero, but he'd hold the Black Knights off from any sort of assassination attempts until after his swearing in of the royal court. He'd make it so that Britannia was no longer the enemy in the Black Knight's eyes. Lelouch sat in the upstairs principal's office, the school had sent all the students home for the day so that Lelouch may move about without getting mauled by fangirls or admirers. The press had lined up outside the school gates so leaving campus was also out of the question. Ruben and Milly were out gathering supplies to help Lelouch create a perfect acceptance speech, this left Lelouch alone inside the large office. His cell phone began to ring and he looked up the caller I.D. to make sure it wasn't a classmate trying to pester him.

'_Kallen? Oh this must be for Zero.' _He thought as he answered it.

"Zero, the new Emperor is a classmate of mine! I have the chance to assassinate him! Just give the order and I'll-"

"Kallen, calm down. We don't know what this new Emperor will do. He could actually give us an advantage in the war should he make the right decisions." Lelouch explained in his darker voice.

"Yes, but…once he swears in as Emperor and turns out to be even worse than the last Emperor I'll have missed my one and only chance! I know this guy from school, he's a complete stoic jackass with no feelings! That whole bit about 'understanding the common man' was a load of crap!" Kallen pleaded.

Those last two lines stung at Lelouch just a tiny bit, especially considering Kallen was one of the girls he was quite fond of. He ignored it and chalked it up to Kallen being over-protective of Zero and the Black Knight mission.

"Relax, we'll have plenty of other opportunities should it come to that. Besides, you're guaranteed to get caught if you try to pull anything now. Then we'll lose our ace pilot, they'll swear in another awful Emperor and it'll all be over for us. We just need to hold off until we figure this new Emperor out." Lelouch wanted to groan in stress as he realized that many Black Knights may already have their missiles and guns aimed at the school. "Do me a favor and make a formal announcement for me." He commanded.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Tell the Black Knights that I've called off any sort of assassination attempts. No one is to interfere with the new Emperor taking throne. **No one**." Lelouch said sternly and a tad angrily.

"G-got it." She said then their call ended.

Within moments Milly and Ruben returned with several boxes. Milly unpacked a special computer and placed it before Lelouch while Ruben handed Lelouch a pad of special paper used for royal documents. They spent the next few hours together without break to finish a perfect acceptance speech for Lelouch. Once they had finished they all took a quick stretch as Milly left to retrieve Nunnally. She came back wheeling the wheelchair inside and Nunnally smiling brightly. To say she wasn't worried was false, she was just happy that her big brother was okay with the idea. To her it meant seeing Euphie regularly and Lelouch wouldn't have to worry about gambling and hanging out after hours with bad friends.

"Oh big brother! I didn't expect this to happen at all! What to do think made Father pick you?" Nunnally asked, this was a question that Lelouch hadn't quite pondered too hard.

"Who knows, maybe the will was written before we left and he just never changed it." Lelouch tried to lie.

"You'd think with being sick for nearly a year he'd had written up a new will." Milly pointed out as she crossed her arms and put a finger to her lower lip. "For now let's just assume it is a current will and he felt bad about leaving you guys behind. Who knows, maybe in his sickly condition the old man started to feel some guilt?" Milly laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

Neither Nunnally nor Lelouch believed that for a moment. Lelouch was pretty sure that this was his Father's way of getting back at him by exposing his location and forcing him back into the chaotic hell known as the holy imperial family of Britannia. Still, Lelouch couldn't help but think heavily that there is an underlying scheme to why he was chosen. Sincerely, Schneizel and Odysseus would have carried out his Father's wishes flawlessly, he must've known Lelouch would tear down everything he believed in. There just had to be an ulterior-motive and Lelouch would find it upon becoming Emperor.

Meanwhile; outside the school halls Shirley, Rival, Nina and many others stood just behind the roped off areas of the school impatiently. Shirley and Rival discussed possibilities that the will was wrong or that it's a hoax to make fun of the diminishing Ashfords.

"I always knew that the name **Lelouch-Lamperouge **was suspiciously similar to Queen Marianne Lamperouge and her son Lelouch! Didn't she have a daughter named Nunnally as well? Doesn't Lelouch have a sister named Nunnally still in middle school?" was the topic of the crowds going on behind Shirley and Rival.

"Man, you'd think Lelouch would've told **somebody** before! Keeping such a huge secret all to himself!" Rival said excitedly as palmed his forehead harshly.

"Yeah, you'd expect him to slip up at some point! Like tell a teacher to get out of gym class or even tell us student council members! Oh my gosh!" Shirley's eyes popped open wide as she stared at Rival.

"Huh, what?" the blue boy asked confused. "What's so exciting so suddenly?"

"Milly and Principal Ruben are up there talking to him now! Ashford was always tied to Marianne Lamperouge, I bet Milly knew this whole time and didn't say anything to us!" Shirley screeched and stopped her foot loudly.

"Wow, you might be right. Oh jeez prez…why didn't you tell us too? We've known the guy since grade school!" Rival sulked down into a squatting position.

"I bet that…he had no choice, you know…" Nina said quietly as she looked to the floor.

"What do you mean, no choice? The guy was a Prince, now he's Emperor! He can do whatever he wants!" Rival asked as he looked up to Nina.

"Well think about it…. He wanted to experience commoner life here in Area Eleven, right? He couldn't very well do that if his friends knew he was royalty, they'd begin favoring him. So maybe he only told Milly because he had to ensure he had a place to stay…." Nina explained as she began fiddling with her fingers.

"I see…" Shirley sighed in agreement. "No wonder he never told us."

"Oh cheer up guys, I bet he'll remain friends with us!" Rival stood up abruptly and put an arm around the shoulders of each girl. "He'll probably make his acceptance speech, do a little swearing in with the royal family and then come back to finish school and hang out with us!" Rival beamed brightly with hope.

"Rival…I don't think you understand how big of a role **Emperor **is!" Shirley hissed and pushed herself out of his grasp. Nina remained in Rival's grasp blushing madly. "He'll have to spend all day, every day doing paper work, speeches and meetings! We'll be lucky if we get a post card from Aries Castle once every **decade**!" Shirley huffed as tears welled up in her eyes. This very thought sent a depressing wave down Rival's spine. Finishing high school without Lelouch to be his sidekick in his motorcycle every morning?

"No! Not gonna happen!" Rival shouted as he let go of Nina and hopped the 'do not cross' ropes and bolted down the hallway.

"R-Rival stop! You'll get arrested!" Shirley shouted, but her words fell on dumb ears. She panicked and hopped the line as well and went after him.

"Oh no!" Nina pranced in place unsure of what to do. She closed her eyes and crossed the line and chased after them as well. "Wait Shirley!" she cried out pathetically quietly.

Kallen and Suzaku witnessed the train forming to find Lelouch. "Hey Kallen." Suzaku grinned at her.

"What?" she asked blinking.

"Let's go join them, obviously the student council is allowed to enter. We're part of the council, so let's go see Lelouch." Suzaku offered as he grabbed her upper arm and tugged gently.

"You're serious?" Kallen blushed at being touched. He nodded and they walked slowly together down the hall.

In an act of spontaneous friendship Rival burst through the principal's office doors in tears. Lelouch, Milly and Ruben looked up in surprise to see their dear friend. Nunnally tilted her head, she wished she could see right now, this sounded interesting.

"Lelouch, you can't become Emperor! Who will be my best friend?!" Rival sobbed as he ran over to Lelouch's arm and clung to it like a Teddy bear. Lelouch looked down in dismay at his friend and sighed.

"Rival…" he said softly as Shirley and Nina ran into the room as well.

"Lelou, we'll never see you again if you go!" Shirley whined as he grabbed onto his other arm, but with less aggression than Rival.

Nina stood in the doorway as Kallen and Suzaku walked up behind her and stood beside her. Lelouch looked around at all of his highschool friends. Highschool; four years of absolute torture, but also the best four years of your life with your friends. It was something that most were forced into, but few got the pleasure of truly enjoying. To be honest Lelouch enjoyed highschool, aside from Phys-Ed…. His fondest memories were of the student council and being at Ashford Academy.

"Everyone calm down, I'm still going to finish highschool with you all. You'll see me just as often as you do now." He reassured them with a gentle smile. Rival breathed a sigh of relief and Shirley let go of Lelouch's arm. Rival leaned up and planted a non-homosexual kiss right on Lelouch's cheek and squeezed him tightly.

"I knew you'd stay with us, ol' buddy!" he cried out half serious, half being silly. Lelouch, irritated, tried his best to pry his "friend" off of him like a spatula fighting fried bacon. This wasn't the first time Rival has smooched Lelouch, he was just glad that this time it was on the cheek.

"Alright, enough Rival! Calm down!" Lelouch said and, while laughing, Rival let go.

"Oh thank goodness!" Milly sighed out in relief as she smiled. "I was so worried about that too!" she looked at Lelouch who looked back sheepishly.

Kallen and Suzaku couldn't help but smile from the doorway, Suzaku was also glad that he'd still get to see Lelouch. Kallen was just glad her assassination opportunity wasn't going to close on her. She'd have a massive window of opportunity should she be given the orders. Suzaku entered the room to join the current ongoing conversation between Lelouch and the others while Kallen stepped out of the room to find a bathroom to make her phone call. She found that every room, bathroom and hall were all completely void of human life. Seeing as everything was roped off to regular students she had freelance to make any sort of devious call she wanted. She stood inside one of the bathrooms and called Zero's personal number. Back inside the principal's room Lelouch's phone rang; he pulled it out and saw that it was Kallen. The devastation of answering that call now would probably end his life. He pressed ignore and hung up, and put the phone away. Kallen back in the bathroom gave a growl of irritation and went straight back to the principal's room where she leaned against the door frame defeated.

"Who was that?" Milly asked.

"One of the students at the school, they're probably just trying to pester me." He chuckled nervously.

"I see, well we need to get you off of school campus without anyone knowing. If the press finds out they'll mosh pit you for interviews." Milly said as he peeked out of the drawn blinds to see thousands of people gathered outside of the school gates.

"There's only one way." Ruben said as he stood up and picked up his desk phone and dialed a number. "Hello, this is Ruben K. Ashford, I am with his highness, Lelouch Vi Britannia. We need a personal escort helicopter to land on top of Ashford Academy to come pick us up at once." The old man said.

It's a good thing Lelouch didn't have a fear of heights. He'd been flying around in Knightmare frames for some time now and had gotten quite used to the aerial aspects of vehicles. Once the helicopter arrived Ruben, Milly, Nunnally and Lelouch boarded while Shirley, Rival and Suzaku looked sad at their departure.

"Hey guys, the helicopter is plenty big enough for all of us! Jump in!" she cheered, she always was a party animal. At first Lelouch was against it, but Milly reminded him that Suzaku was Euphemia's knight then patted him on the shoulder. "Relax big-guy! Your friends just want to see you off is all!"

At the reassurance of Milly's intentions Lelouch allowed the entire student council to board with him. As they flew over the Tokyo settlement they couldn't help but feel mad-rushes of excitement. Aside from their close friend becoming ruler of the greatest empire the world had ever know, the view from the helicopter was quite lovely. A couple hours later they landed on top of the Britannian Palace in Area Eleven's embassy base. Once out of the helicopter they were all escorted inside the marble encased castle. They were lead down a long marble corridor decorated by many famous paintings and sculptures. They stopped to admire a painting of Queen Marianne, Emperor Charles, a young Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally playing in a flowery field together. Shirley and Rival giggled and chattered about how cute they were as kids for a while before moving along with the group. Their tour finally stopped before a massive stone double-door and the guide cleared his throat loudly.

"I'm sorry to say that none of you may enter this holy chamber in….**those **school clothing. You all must change into proper attire before entering. If you go through these doors just to your right then you'll be met with Britannia's finest tailors who will find you proper garments and tailor them to your sizes in no time." The chauffer said as he pointed to a basic set of wooden doors.

They all went into the tailoring room where everyone was forced to dress as regally as possible. Lelouch wore his white Emperor clothing, Nunnally wore her pink Empress dress, Suzaku changed into his Knight's uniform, Milly fit perfectly into a ruby red ballroom gown, Kallen wore the yellow dress, Shirley put on a light green gown, Nina wore a purple sleeveless dress and Rival put on an outfit that came dangerously close to a Knight's uniform. While Lelouch's Emperor outfit was being made from scratch it gave everyone time to phone home and tell their parents to watch the television for them. They knew the acceptance speech would be aired live and that everyone in the world would be watching.

"Oh my god! I **so **did not wake up this morning thinking I'd be sitting at the top of the Tokyo palace in a dress while Lelouch gave his Emperor's acceptance speech live!" Milly giggled excitedly.

"You and the rest of the world Prez!" Rival said as he joined her giggles of delight.

"It's so wonderful to know you're all happy with big brother's decision." Nunnally said as she came out of the changing room in her electric wheelchair.

"Oh Nunna-Chan, you must be so happy to finally get to see you older sisters and brothers again!" Shirley said as she approached Nunnally.

"I am indeed, I just feel worried that Lelouch might have a hard time seeing them all himself. I don't think he knows how to react right now." Nunnally frowned as her eyebrows tilted down with woe.

"Oh relax, you know he became a commoner to experience normal life for the sake of all of us!" Shirley said as she smiled although Nunnally couldn't see it.

"Oh, yeah Shirley, about that. I'm sure Lelouch will give you the **full **explanation soon." Milly gave Shirley a nervous smile.

"Why, is something wrong?" Shirley asked as she stood up and walked over to the blonde.

"Yeah, I'll let him explain himself, but let's just say that the entire royal family actually **believed **that he and Nunna-Chan were dead." Milly's shoulder slumped.

"Oh, oh my gosh! So Princess Euphemia and the others will be surprised then! I mean I know they'd already be surprised, but to find out their two youngest siblings are alive will be a thrill to them!" Shirley clapped her hands together once.

'_Oh yeah….one happy surprise alright…' _Milly thought depressingly. She knew there would be mixed feelings about not only Lelouch's return, but his over-taking of the throne. The royal courts were going to have a bitch fit followed by a pity party. It sucked to know the truth sometimes.

"Alright, let's do this." Lelouch said flatly as he stepped forth from the changing room in full attire.

"Looks good, man!" Rival snickered as he ran up to Lelouch and put an arm around his shoulders.

This time Lelouch did nothing to try and stop his friend from dragging him out of the room and across the hall to the marble doors. Everyone followed suit and walked into the hallway where the escort guard opened the door for them. The view of the inside garden met with the Viceroy's throne that had a view leading out into the Tokyo settlement. Everyone that was a part of the royal courts for all of Britannia had been gathered into the room and awaited Lelouch's grand entrance. Cornelia who sat in the Viceroy throne and Euphemia so sat beside her as sub-Viceroy both dropped their jaws. It was true; Lelouch and Nunnally lived.

"**Now entering is his royal highness Lelouch Vi Britannia followed by Nunnally Vi Britannia. Escorting them is Knight of Princess Euphemia, Suzaku Kururugi. Ruben K. and Milly Ashford and Kallen Stadtfeld are also present. Many of Prince Lelouch's friends are within the group as well." **The escort shouted in a royal announcing tone as everyone entered the room.

Cornelia and Euphemia immediately stood as they were approached by a vision from their past. Euphemia, for the first time since the announcement that they were alive was made, allowed tears to streak her face. Lelouch and Nunnally now stood mere feet away from them. Nunnally tried her best to smile and Lelouch tried his best to not either laugh hysterically like a mad-man or break down in fear. He'd been swallowing both of these emotions since the airing of the will this morning. Euphemia herself found it incredibly hard to hold back tears of joy when she heard the news. Euphemia was the first to break the ice and stepped forth and embrace Lelouch who returned the kind gesture.

"Oh Lelou, I'm so happy you and Nunna-Chan are alright!" she cried out gently.

"I as well." Cornelia smiled and tilted her head slightly as her purple eyes brimmed with fresh tears that had yet to fall.

"I missed you both; I missed **home**." He lied with a convincing fake smile. He did miss Euphie, to a degree, but the others were a somewhat different story.

"Does your presence here signify that you're accepting the offer of becoming Emperor?" Cornelia asked not wasting any time as she dried her tears and replaced her melting heart with a more serious posture.

"Yes." Lelouch stated flatly as Euphemia backed away back to her seat.

"Lelouch, please take a little more time to make your decision. This is the most serious thing you could ever do with your life!" Cornelia pleaded.

"I have had a little time and I am certain of this. I know what I want to do and what I am capable of doing." He said sternly as he looked Cornelia dead into her eyes; the same eyes they shared, the eyes they both inherited from the same father.

"Oh Lelouch, you grew up just a little too fast, didn't you?" Cornelia sighed as he bent her head down. She wasn't opposed to Lelouch returning to the royal family, but as Emperor?

"I'm so very happy to see you, little brother." Came a chilling voice from the other side of the room as Schneizel approached him. Lelouch's heart nearly flip-flopped as the blonde man approached him. "I cannot express how delighted I was to hear that you were still alive. After all this time I had begun to fear for the worst!"

"I'm glad to see you too, big brother." Lelouch said apprehensively. Schneizel laid a hand on Lelouch's shoulder and turned to face Cornelia.

"Please Cornelia; allow us to bring Lelouch back to Pendragon so that he may make his announcement in the Britannian homeland rather than in an area colony." Schneizel nearly smirked.

"That's actually a good idea. It'd take a couple of days for us to reach Pendragon, thus giving Lelouch more time to think." She agreed.

"No, **Japan **is a perfect place for me to make my stand, and I am completely ready. I don't need more time to stall." Lelouch said as he looked up into Schneizel's icy eyes. The royal audience, even Suzaku, Milly and the others as began whispering about the fact that the Emperor of all people had referred to Area Eleven as Japan.

"Is that so?" Schneizel glared down at Lelouch who returned the grim look. Cornelia could sense the tension between them as Schneizel's hand fall from Lelouch's shoulder gently.

"Well then, I guess we should make the proper arrangements to have a stage set outside the Tokyo Palace." Euphemia said abruptly showing her support for Lelouch.

_**XxXxX**_

The stage was set; Lelouch stood at the podium with Nunnally to his left and Ruben to his right. Milly stood to Nunnally's left as she held her hand. Milly was quite happy to be Nunnally secretary, she'd be tending to Nunnally's political life throughout her reign as Princess. Lelouch intended to give Nunnally a special role, but hadn't quite thought of it yet. The curtains we drawn around the small balcony that they all stood on; this balcony protruded out of the Tokyo Palace and loomed over the masses of millions of Britannian and Japanese civilians below. News and camera crews swamped the area, security helicopters swarmed the skies and royal guards lined every nook and cranny of the surrounding area. It was less than ten minutes before Lelouch would make his acceptance speech and the world would tremble before a new King.

"We're all set over here, the cameras are ready to roll and the guards have everything on lockdown." Suzaku said as he walked into the back scene with Euphemia. Lelouch allowed his closest friends to join him on the stage behind him for the announcement; Shirley, Rival, Nina, Kallen, Suzaku and of course Arthur the cat tucked away in Suzaku's arms. Cornelia, Euphemia, Schneizel and the entire other royal family sat to the very sides of the balcony in seats made of pure marble. As the moments ticked by everyone anticipated the moment those curtains opened to reveal Lelouch to the public eye for the first time in nearly a decade.

"Alright this is it." Milly clenched Nunnally's tiny hand. The clocked showed **twelve** seconds until the curtains opened.

"Lelouch my boy," Ruben began as placed a hand on Lelouch's upper back. **Ten** seconds. "Do your best, not just for Lady Nunnally or this country, but for the entire world."

**Six** seconds left. Ruben handed Lelouch the acceptance speech document they'd come up with together. **Three** seconds left.

"Thank you." Lelouch smiled at him genuinely. **Zero**.

The curtains flew open to reveal the millions of commoners lined up in the Palace square and connecting streets. Like an over sprinkled confection the Britannians and Japanese loitered the joint. The sheer volume of the masses bellowing and cheering rabidly hit him full force. He wasn't entirely convinced that they were all happy to see him, but he reminded himself that Britannia loved their royalty and he was their Prince. Lelouch allowed himself to shake slightly for a moment before regaining his composure and speaking into the microphone.

"Attention Britannia and all colonial areas!" he shouted democratically.

"Damn! He has a good kingly voice!" Rival whispered to Shirley who nodded.

"I am accepting my father's, Charles Zi Britannia's, offer to become Emperor of the holy Britannian empire. My sister Nunnally and I have locked ourselves away in the depths of the commoner's life. I did this for the sake of better understand my followers and their needs. I have seen what it's like to have nothing in a desperate moment. I have witnessed the struggles of the ordinary man and woman whose only desire is to survive in this world. I will heed your call and fulfill your needs as Emperor." Lelouch said as he raised his fist in the air. The crowd loved it, they cheered and screamed like fangirls seeing their favorite band in person.

Shirley and the others behind him marveled at this new **god **that has suddenly taken hold of their dear friend. How it wasn't obvious to them before that Lelouch was a natural born Prince was now incomprehensible. They should have noticed this spark in him before.

"I vow to make Britannia a better country, both from inside its government and to its civilians. To do this I will set forth a new law starting from today." He dropped his fist and the crowd silenced to listen to their god-like Emperor speak.

"Wait a second, Lelouch that was supposed to be the end of your speech!" Milly whispered in surprise. Lelouch gave her a sideways grin.

"Inside of all colonial areas such as **Japan **you must refer to them as their native terms. No more racial slurs for numbers. The Japanese is their proper name and you will use it as such. Anyone caught using the old numbers may or may not receive a penalty." The power in Lelouch's voice never left, but the power in the crowd's cheering trickled to a halt.

"**That's **why he wanted to have the announcement in Area Eleven!" Cornelia whispered angrily to Euphemia.

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Euphemia smiled. Cornelia looked to Euphie, her beloved **Britannian** sister, with disappointment.

"Euphie, you can't be serious about following such a ridiculous law…" Cornelia frowned.

"Ridiculous?!" Euphemia shouted as she stood up. "What's ridiculous is that we ever called them Elevens in the first place! We took their home and names away, it's about time they got back a piece of their pride!" Euphemia shouted at a wide eyed Cornelia loud enough for the microphone to carry her voice to the audience. Euphemia then walked over to Lelouch and requested the microphone which he obliged.

"Britannia, this is your Princess, Euphemia, speaking. I beg of you to comply with Emperor Lelouch's new law! The **Japanese **people are citizens just like you and **I**! No more bullying or name-calling of the other colonial races!" Euphemia spoke sternly, unlike Cornelia had ever heard. In fact the world had only known dear Princess Euphie to be a gentle and soft-spoken young girl, but today she was a fearsome leader; a true Princess of Britannia.

Upon Euphemia's words Britannia cheered, but very quietly. That's when she decided enough was enough. "Japanese people in the audience, I know you're there! Please, let your voice finally be heard." Euphemia's voice travelled to the audience, but not many made much noise. The Britannians were too scared to retort and the Japanese too terrified that it was all a trap.

"Japanese." Lelouch took the microphone back. "I _**command**_ you to accept your birthrights back. Japan will remain a district controlled by Britannia, but not as an area number. Japan will be an allied nation in which Britannians and Japanese can finally live together without prejudice!" with that said every Japanese person jumped up and screamed, their prayers were finally answered. The audience, which consisted of half Japanese and half Britannian, was suddenly lit ablaze. Some Britannians joined the Japanese in cheering, but most remained completely quiet and unmoving.

"My father once said that this is a world of extreme prejudice and that only the strong survive; that not all men were created equal, that some were born more athletic, some more beautiful. This is not the truth that the world seeks." That was the final note that send nations across the world standing to their feet and clapping. To see Britannia, the world's greatest empire, admit to such things was nearly the second coming of a god.

"I was right for picking you to be the Vice President of the student council!" she cheered and hugged him briefly. This is when Milly started clapping herself, even though she was Britannian by birth and life, she was a free spirit who knew that each race deserved its own justice. Lelouch had just delivered that justice.

_**XxXxX**_

That was the night the world rejoiced and Britannia's entire way of living was thrown into question. The entire Britannian royal court was now scratching their heads and leaning over toilets vomiting in disgust. Euphemia joined Lelouch and his friends in a small personal celebration party while Cornelia, Schneizel and the others sat around pondering the meaning of Britannian life. Their ways were doomed if Lelouch stayed in office, they simply had to confront him about such wild ideas. Cornelia stood up from her comfy lounge chair and headed straight for the party room and hovered in the doorway. She crossed her arms and smiled very slightly as the sight of her dearly once-lost younger brother. She loved him, no questioning that, but he wasn't fit to be the Emperor of Britannia by any means. She had to put an end to this.

"Lelouch, may I speak to you a moment; **alone**." She said harsher than she meant.

"I'm sorry big sister, but I'm awfully tired. I'm going to bed now. You should get some rest yourself." He lied knowing that she was actually just going to lecture him.

"Alright, but first thing in the morning you and I are going to have a chit chat about politics." She said rather rudely then left back to her personal quarters.

"That was mean!" Rival drunkenly gawked at the door.

"Yes, she's a racist herself. She probably thinks she can talk me into undoing my new law. That won't be happening." He smirked and laughed a little. Lelouch may have had just a little too much to drink, he was beginning to venture into the realm of beyond 'tipsy'.

"You know, I always knew you weren't a racist. I just always assumed you were going with the flow of society." Rival belched out.

"I was residing in Japan before the war broke out." Lelouch commented then took a sip of his champagne.

"About that, Lelou….Are you going to tell everyone about…you know…" Milly nodded her head towards a painting of Queen Marianne.

"Oh, I suppose I should at least let my closest friends know." He sighed and sat down. Everyone followed suit as they listened to the story of how Lelouch's mother was murdered and the king threw him and Nunnally to Japan where they met Suzaku. He noted how the three had to trudge through fields of dead bodies. Shirley and Rival cried like babies, but Suzaku smiled. Euphemia broke out into a full on hysterical bawl-fest as she hugged Nunnally. Kallen felt a pang of guilt and understanding as she heard his story. She had no idea that he had lived such a life.

"I dethroned Nunnally and myself for the sake of starting a new life and finding mother's assassin. I never got very far, but now that I'm Emperor I can find out whoever did it. I'm tired of Britannian's laws saying that the weak should be punished; the defenseless left behind to die. I couldn't stand being a Prince of **that **kind of nation." Lelouch's teeth grit together in frustration. "I don't actually know why my father lied about me hiding as a commoner for research…I feel guilty for using it in my speech at all to be honest."

Shirley walked over to Lelouch and sat beside him where she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. When she first met Lelouch she thought he was some sort of stoic, arrogant fool. After she witnessed him help an elderly couple with the same bored expression on his face that he always had she began to wonder what he really thought of inside his mind. What did he think of the world, what did he want to do with his life? Now she knew and she had wished she'd known sooner. The torture Lelouch and Nunnally had when growing up must've been a heavy load to carry around all these years.

"Oh Lelou, it must've been so hard on you and Nunna-Chan." Shirley whispered so quietly that only he heard her.

"It's alright. I was okay with having just Nunnally around." He smiled up at her.

Kallen excused herself to the restroom, this was just an excuse to give Zero another call and see if he'd answer. Lelouch noticed this and immediately excused himself as well. He went into the men's room where he was disgruntled to see two other politicians inside chatting it up. Upon seeing Lelouch they immediately tried to strike up a conversation with him, but he dismissed them and nearly flew out of the restroom.

"Who knew, the new Emperor is toilet-shy!" one laughed out and the other let out a hearty laugh to follow suit.

Lelouch knew he had to find an unmonitored and completely desolate location for when his phone rang from Kallen. He had to make no mistake that he wasn't to be observed while he and Kallen spoke of Black Knight matters. He rounded a corner and ran smack into Schneizel's chest. Lelouch stumbled backwards and fell on his bottom in pain. Schneizel leaned down to help him up.

"Where are you going in such a rush?" Schneizel chuckled at Lelouch's panicked face as he stood up.

"I…" Lelouch panted. "I'm no athlete…" he choked out.

"I can see that. Perhaps it'd be best if you did some training." Schneizel gave the younger a slight smile.

Lelouch's phone began to ring at this moment and Lelouch was certain it was Kallen. He had to get away from Schneizel immediately.

"I'm sorry, I have to be somewhere." Lelouch said then took in a deep breath and ran away again. This left Schneizel with a cocked eyebrow.

Lelouch was tempted to answer his ringing phone while running, but he refrained himself. He finally found a janitorial closet and hid into it. He answered the phone immediately.

"H-hello….this ….this is Zero…" he panted heavily.

"What are you doing that's making you breathe so hard? Oh my god…You're not having **sex ** are you? At a time like this?!" Kallen hissed madly.

"No….I was…I was exercising…" he half lied, that run was his monthly allowance for exercise.

"Oh I see. To the point then, you heard the speech didn't you?" she asked.

"Of course….I did. I was…in the audience…" Lelouch could feel the energy slowly returning to his body.

"What do you think?" she asked as she gave a hopeful smile. She suddenly no longer had the desire to assassinate Lelouch mercilessly.

"Well…." Lelouch paused and took a couple deep breathes. "Let's see how this whole thing pans out. Right now it's only day one and it's far too early to tell what will happen. As it stands you'll just have to keep a close eye out." He smirked, but his smirk fell when he realized he was leaning against a wet and dirty mop that left a smelly stain on his sleeve." Gross!" he called out.

"What's gross?" Kallen asked,

"Nothing never-mind." He said. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh yes, he told only us as his close friends that he's staying in high school. So I'll have many chances to take care of him should it need be." Kallen felt something stab at her chest, but she couldn't quite decipher it entirely.

"Most likely won't be necessary, just don't do anything out of the ordinary unless I order you to. Did you tell the Black Knights to lay off of the Emperor as well?" he asked, this was something that was nagging him all night.

"Yes, they understand. I'm pretty sure they're happy with the speech Lelouch gave as well. I wonder if it'd be alright to tell my friends I'm half Japanese." She smiled again.

"That's up to you personally, the law has been upheld and you shouldn't face any harmful comments or consequences." He explained.

"So, were you excited about the speech too?" she resisted the urge to giggle in joy.

"Yes, I was probably the most excited person in the world at that moment." He let out a quiet laugh with her. "Kallen, just try to enjoy normal life for a little while. Don't be too worried about Britannia's new chain of command. I highly doubt the new Emperor will try to attack the Black Knights right now."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Kallen asked.

"He's only just come into office today; he won't be issuing any attack commands for quite some time. Besides, if he wanted to destroy the number-area system so badly that it was in his acceptance speech then he doesn't want a conflict with Japan. He won't be giving any hostile commands out for a while yet. So you and the Black Knights can take a rest." He reassured her. He could hear her soft sigh from the other end.

"Alright, that's a good point." She agreed and that's where their call ended. They exchanged goodbyes and Kallen hung up and was about to leave when someone walked into the bathroom.

Lelouch on the other hand had a slight problem. How was he to explain the stench that now befell him? He opened the janitorial closet door and came stumbling out followed by the wet mop and several dirty push brooms. After he struggled, but managed, to get all of the mops and brooms back into the closet he shut the door and pressed his back to it. He sighed and stood up properly as if to walk away, but froze when he saw Schneizel standing only feet in front of him with a most dark expression on his face. Lelouch felt fear well up into his chest, neck and face as Schneizel closed in on him. This was one of the few people on this planet that Lelouch actually feared when it came to being unveiled. Schneizel was one of his biggest obstacles and would need to be forced into submission should he show any sign of resistance.

"Why was the **Emperor **inside of a broom closet?" he asked flatly.

"For privacy; I had a personal phone call to make." He said truthfully.

"To whom?" Schneizel inquired.

"Why does it matter to you?" Lelouch asked with a frown. Schneizel grabbed Lelouch's upper arms and held on tightly, as if preventing him from escaping.

"I know your dirty little secret now, **Zero**. You're not going anywhere." Schneizel whispered darkly as his upper lip crunched. To say Lelouch nearly had a heart attack was an understatement; his heart literally skipped a beat upon those words. He began feeling dizzy, but remained in control of himself. The only bit of emotion he allowed himself to show was a slight bit of surprise. Schneizel's grip on Lelouch's arms tightened harshly. There was only one clear-cut option for Lelouch to take, he didn't enjoy taking it, but he felt he had no other choice in the matter.

Lelouch looked straight into Schneizel's eyes and returned the glare. "I, Lelouch Vi Britannia, command you to forget that you ever heard my phone call or any knowledge of me being Zero. You shall ignore all further proof that I or Kallen are tied to the Black Knights. Furthermore you shall support and acknowledge me as your Emperor."

Geass, it's a grand thing to possess. Schneizel's eyes lit up bright red as the Geass took hold of his mind. "Yes, your highness." Schneizel said as he let go of Lelouch's arms and kneeled before him.

"Now, go find me a suitable replacement for this disgusting wardrobe." Lelouch commanded.

"Yes, your highness." Schneizel repeated as he began walking towards the tailoring room. Lelouch followed him and he was given a new outfit to wear for the remainder of the evening.

Lelouch returned to the party room where Milly and Shirley were sound asleep on the comfy couch. Suzaku and Rival were at a table playing some card game, but Nunnally, Nina and Euphemia were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where is everyone?" Lelouch asked.

"Oh uhm…" Suzaku started then looked at Rival who shrugged. "Euphemia went to put Nunnally to bed, Kallen's in the bathroom still and Nina then went to find Euphemia. I don't know if Nina ever actually found Euphie, but they've been gone a while." Suzaku now pondered.

"I see, so it's just us three and the two sleeping logs over there." Lelouch smiled as he sat down by them so that they made a triangle across the circular table.

"Yep, just us." Suzaku said as he re-dealt the cards to include Lelouch.

"Hey, Lelouch. I have a question." Rival gave his friend the 'you know what' smirk.

"Oh good lord, what could you possibly have to ask with **that **face?" Lelouch smiled nervously.

"As Emperor you could have any babe in the world, not to mention as many wives as you want-"

"Stop it right there!" Lelouch turned bright red as Suzaku nearly dropped the deck he began laughing so hard.

"Oh come on! You're gonna get married eventually, right? Why not live the life now that you've got the chance!" Rival smacked Lelouch harshly on the back.

"I'm not saying I'm against getting married, I just….I .."

"Aww is Lelou **shy**?" Rival grinned widely. Lelouch growled lowly at him. Suzaku had finally managed to stifle his last few laughs enough to finish dishing out the cards.

"So Lelouch." Suzaku spoke up as he laid down the first card. "Since she's not around….Do you and Kallen have a thing going on or something?" he asked with a small grin.

"I…that is…uh….not exactly." He half lied. He and Kallen were quite close as Q-One and Zero, but not at all as Lelouch and Kallen. "What makes you even think that?" Lelouch evidently blushed.

"You're always just skipping school on the same days. It's like you two plan it or something. As soon as Kallen would excuse herself from class and never come back you do the same. When she shows up late for morning class so do you. It's just like you two are hanging out together. Like just a little while ago as soon as Kallen went to the bathroom you got up and left as well; and for a long time at that!" Suzaku pointed out.

"It's a coincidence! Speaking of Kallen, I wonder why she isn't back yet. Maybe she's gotten into…trouble…" a horrible feeling just befell Lelouch. If he got caught by Schneizel then maybe Kallen did as well….

"See, you're **so **worried about her!" Suzaku grinned and pinched Lelouch's cheek. "You look so upset that she isn't here!"

"Oh cut it out!" Lelouch shrugged out of his hold and stood up. "I'll go find her, but only because she's been gone for almost an hour now. That isn't normal, especially since she's in an unfamiliar palace."

"Then we'll all go look for her." Suzaku offered and Rival agreed.

"No, I'll do it by myself. You guys keep playing. I'll be back soon." Lelouch then left the room again.

Suzaku and Rival sat back and continued playing the game. "He _**so**_ has the hots for her." Rival grinned.

"He does!" Suzaku snickered and nodded his head.

Lelouch walked densely down the hallway looking for the women's restroom. It wasn't until he was standing before it that he realized he couldn't just waltz in. He settled for knocking on the door and calling out her name. When no answer came he got the idea to call her, but his phone comes up as "Zero" on her end and it'd be a mess if that happened. He could always call her as his Zero persona, but then he'd have to give an excuse for calling. Then he'd have to come up with another excuse for why he wanted to know exactly where she was. Suddenly an idea hit him. He walked over to a pay phone, pulled up Kallen's number from his phone and called it with the palace phone.

"Kallen?" Lelouch asked as he heard the phone being answered.

"Hello?" she responded a little confused.

"This is Lelouch, everyone is just wondering where you are. You've been gone so long." He said honestly slightly worried.

"Oh uhmm…I bumped into a Knight of Round in the bathroom and she is showing me around the palace! I'll be back soon, don't worry!" she pretended to be happier than she actually was.

"Alright, Shirley and Milly fell asleep on the couch already. They're so clumsy!" Lelouch giggled. "I'm going to set everyone up in a hotel just down the street in an hour, so be back by then okay?"

"Oh wow! Thank you! I'll be back very soon!" she said excitedly. "By the way, I don't recall giving you my phone number…" she whispered suspiciously, but more or less jokingly.

"Oh that, heh…I got it from…either Shirley or Milly I think. It's been sitting my phone for a while now!" he lied.

"I see, well I'll let you go for now." She hung up. Kallen didn't recall giving her phone number to either Shirley or Milly, but she shrugged it off. It wasn't really all that important. Lelouch returned to playing cards while Kallen followed Anya and Gino around the palace.

"This is where Luciano and I got wasted one night and banged a couple of hot chicks!" Gino giggled hysterically. Kallen wanted to punch this man; so much…. "Oh and this room is where I passed out after the over taking over Osell Tower! I was so drunk!"

"Gino, aren't you a minor?" Kallen asked hoping to end these crazy stories.

"Well yeah I'm seventeen! You're used to life in Area Ele- I mean Japan where the legal limit is still twenty-one. In the mainland it's sixteen! " Gino said as he turned the corner behind Anya.

"I see…perhaps I should ask Lelouch to alter that…" she said through grit teeth. Milly and Shirley were shining examples of why minors shouldn't drink; passing out in the palace while still wearing formal attire wasn't appealing to one's reputation.

"You refer to his royal highness by nothing but his first name?" Gino stopped and turned to her in confusion.

"Yes, we're….good friends." She said slowly and cautiously.

"Oh kick**ass**!" Gino screeched in delight as he ran up to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "You gotta introduce me!" he begged.

"First of all…" Kallen struggled to get out of his grasp. "You're a Knight of Round, you can meet him almost anytime you want. Secondly I'm going up to meet him now. If you want to follow me then do so. I'm heading back to his party room now."

"Sweet! Anya come join us!" he said as he grabbed her by the arm to turn her around and follow Kallen.

Kallen reentered the room with Gino and Anya behind her. Much to Gino's dismay Lelouch was already passed out with his head down on the table. Suzaku and Rival were the only ones in the room even awake. Gino took a seat next to Suzaku who was actually quite pleased to see him. Anya sat next to Rival and Kallen next to Lelouch, the unconscious god.

"Man, Lelouch sure loves himself a good nap. He's an expert and sleeping in class!" Rival snorted jokingly.

"You're his classmate?" Gino asked amazed.

"Yes, and the two girls on the couch over there are as well; they're Shirley and Milly. Nina is with Euphemia right now, I don't know when they'll be back. Maybe they fell asleep already…" Suzaku pondered.

"Oh boy, it looks like Emperor Sleeping Beauty has a lot of female friends! Are they all going to be his consorts like Kallen?" Gino asked excitedly.

"I am **not **Lelouch's **consort**!" Kallen hissed as she slammed her fist onto the table far harder than she intended to.

Lelouch was successfully scared into consciousness. Suzaku, Gino and Rival burst into a fit of laughter at the look of confusion on Lelouch's face, along with the red mark on his forehead where a playing card was stuck.

"I just had the weirdest dream that I became Emperor…" Lelouch said as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Wasn't a dream, **your highness**!" Gino laughed as he smacked his hand roughly onto Lelouch's shoulder. Lelouch's eyes popped open and looked around.

"Oh…well then…" he looked to Suzaku. "I guess I am Emperor." Lelouch said stupidly.

"You always act this way when you're sleep deprived. Why don't we head over to the hotel now?" Rival suggested. He knew Lelouch well enough to know that he would be able to think much clearer in the morning.

"Right, what time is it?" Lelouch asked as he looked around for a clock, but couldn't find one.

"It's two-thirteen in the morning." Anya informed him as she checked the time from her digital diary.

"Damn we stayed up late!" Rival said as he stretched his arms and back.

"I'll go call for an escort car. You guys wake the girls up. Kallen would you go find Nina for me?" he asked and she agreed.

It was almost three in the morning and everyone was standing around in the pitched-black street in front of the palace. Lelouch didn't like the idea of sleeping in the palace on the first night so he opted to stay with his friends at the most famous hotel in Tokyo; the Imperial Hotel Tokyo. They all shared a conjoined hotel suite consisting of four suits with connecting doors and one living room. Suzaku talked Lelouch into allowing Gino and Anya spend the night, but it was actually Kallen who needed the convincing. Euphemia and Nina shared a bed to giggle and talk to one another, Shirley and Milly shared a bed, Nunnally and Anya shared a king sized bed to themselves. Lelouch and Rival managed to quit harassing each other about "consorts and wives" long enough to share a bed in which they slept with their heads at opposite ends of the bed. Suzaku wasn't fond of bedding another guy, or anyone in general really, but Gino promised to not disturb him. Kallen was the lucky one, she got a bed all to herself.

They all slept off their drunken minds until a very sober noon the next day. Room service was actually the one to wake them at noon for lunch call in which everyone sprang out of bed nearly starving. They had no choice but to re-wear their formal attire from the previous night to the lunch table. After Rival gave Lelouch another hour's worth of _"pick a wife"_ and _"my little sister is single and has always had a crush on you"_ they all left back to the palace.

"Well I suppose we ought to get back to our classes. I mean we've already missed four hours today, that's bad enough." Milly shrugged her shoulders at Lelouch as she smiled.

"I need to get back too. I've already informed the courts that I won't be active until next month. I just need time to adjust my life around." He said as they grabbed their school uniforms from the tailoring room where they'd left them yesterday.

Everyone changed back into their school clothes and piled into a limo that would escort them to school. Unluckily for them the front gates leading onto campus were absolutely swarmed with the media and by standers. The Japanese filled the streets, out-numbering the Britannians by over five to one. Everyone was eagerly awaiting Emperor Lelouch's entrance to school that morning. He grimaced, how were they supposed to get inside? Suddenly people began knocking on the windows of the limousine and screaming gleefully. They all made sure that the doors were locked and rolled the windows all the way up. There was a group of Japanese folk holding up a sign that read "**Long live Emperor Lelouch of Japan!**" which to Lelouch's surprise was purple and glittery. Upon reading the sign Kallen's heart wanted to melt, she envisioned Lelouch being Emperor of Japan. Something inside of her mind clicked awkwardly, but she couldn't tell exactly what she was feeling at the time.

Suddenly the entire scene to her was like a black and white slow-motion film from the twentieth century. The banging on the windows was slow and deep in volume while the screams of Lelouch-fans echoed obnoxiously. Everyone in the limo had a surprised look on their face, but to Kallen Lelouch's face was the most surprised. The only thing that struck her heart was the feeling of "fondness" when she saw the excitement in Lelouch's violet eyes. It's like she was suddenly tunnel visioning in on just his beautiful, purple eyes. Lelouch's attention was turned to Kallen who was starting directly at him with a wondrous, curious look upon her face. For the lucid moment they shared they became entranced in each other, for reasons unexplained Kallen felt the urge to get up and go sit next to him. Lelouch knew he wanted to be next to Kallen, but he refrained himself and forcefully tore his focus away from Kallen to look back out his window at his new "fans". Kallen's movie like moment suddenly vanished and she was back into the realm of reality where everything was in color and moving at regular speed.

To her it was a moment she'd never forget as long as she lived; riding in the back of a limousine as she locked eyes with the Emperor romantically. _'What the __**hell**__ did I just think?!' _she caught herself in her daydream. She mentally slapped herself and pulled her mind back to what was important; the Black Rebellion and making sure Lelouch doesn't do anything to hurt the Japanese populous.

As the limousine turned around it headed back for the main highway. Lelouch questioned the driver's actions who replied that he was taking them back to the palace to be air-lifted back onto the rooftop of the highschool. Back at the palace there were a few camera men who tried to interview Lelouch and the others as they reentered the marble palace.

"Emperor Lelouch! Just a word please!" one begged.  
"Emperor! What are your plans for rebuilding Japan? The Japanese want to know!"  
"Have you picked a wife yet? Are you dating anyone?"  
"Have you chosen a Knight yet?"  
"Would you please come to C.N.B. for an official interview this week?"

"I'm sorry everyone." Lelouch stopped. "I'll speak to the press later this month. Right now I have personal issues to deal with." He explained then proceeded to enter the palace.

"Miss Milly Ashford! Would you like to give a few words?"

"Oh no thank you, it's my grandfather you should be interviewing, not me!" she smiled and waved to the cameraman as she followed Lelouch into the school.

"Woman! Please! Redhead, please give us just a single statement!"

"I uh...I'm sorry I must be going…" Kallen sheepishly replied as she pranced into the palace.

"Sir Suzaku Kururugi, have you and Princess Euphemia formed a romance connection yet?"

Suzaku blushed madly, but ignored the comment and he was the last inside the palace. Everyone else already made it inside without getting bombarded with questions. They quickly made it to the rooftop where they were met by a helicopter similar to the one that had originally dropped them off. They all boarded, Euphemia, Gino and Anya included who wanted to enjoy normal high school life for once. Once they arrived at the school they did their best to get to class without too much interruption. Ruben had barred the school from allowing anyone inside that wasn't a student attending class or a teacher that was teaching that day. Aside from that only staff were allowed entrance and were given a briefing on not approaching Lelouch or any of the student council members without good reason.

They all piled into class, four hours late for school, but there were four more left in the day. As soon as Lelouch and the others entered the room the entire class erupted in cheering which could be heard throughout most of the school. Other classrooms heard the cheering and knew immediately that it meant Emperor Lelouch was back at school. Some bolted out of their classrooms and over to Lelouch's just to get a glimpse at him. After teachers quelled the chaos Lelouch sat down in his regular seat by the window with Shirley to his right, Rival in front of him, Suzaku on the other side of Shirley and so forth. Gino took a seat next to Rival to goof off with him, but got yelled at several times by the teacher.

"I don't care that you're a Knight of Round or that Emperor Lelouch is here! You do **not **speak while I'm speaking!"

Gino frowned, he'd never been yelled at by a commoner before, but Rival helped him swallow his pride and accept it. Almost the entire class giggled and snickered at Gino, but in a playful way. Class went on as usual, even the girls staring dreamily at Lelouch was considered normal. As soon as the bell rang to symbolize that fifth period was over many classmates jumped from their seats and tried to make conversation with Lelouch and the others.

"So Shirley, how was the palace?" a girl asked.  
"Did they make that green dress I saw on you on television just for you for that night?" another asked.

"Well the palace was big, and it was made of marble. The dress was tailored to fit me as soon as I arrived. It took a half an hour for them to get it small enough to fit around my waist though." She explained with a silly smile.

"You're so lucky!" the girl huffed her cheeks out.

"Shirley." Lelouch said and the orangette turned to face him. "I'm going to the student council room to meet with Milly. I think the entire student council should get together for the fifth period meeting."

"O-okay!" Shirley stuttered, but regained her composure. These fangirls were getting to her, she was beginning to view Lelouch like a super start that she was forbidden from speaking to. It was kind of exciting to be honest, but she didn't want to feel distant from Lelouch. She and everyone else followed Lelouch back to the student council room. Lelouch lead the group like a true leader as many bystanders watched him walk through the halls. Among the many whispers of the other students praising Lelouch, most were incredibly jealous of Shirley and Lelouch's other friends. There were **very **few students in the entire campus that weren't jealous of them all at this point. Once they were all inside the student council room they all sat in their usual seats. Ever since Lelouch became Emperor everything seemed different, like it was suddenly extra special. Lelouch was just glad that the student council room was exactly as it was before; besides one thing.

"Milly…" Lelouch blinked at the girl with long, puffy light purple hair and soft blue eyes sitting beside the blonde President. "Who is this?" he asked as the girl giggled and winked at Lelouch.

"This is Lucina Arwik. She's a Junior, like yourself, and she's about to join the student council if you approve it; Mr. Vice President!" Milly said as she waved her hands around Lucina as if she were a car being flaunted in a sports show.

"Hi there!" Lucina chirped.

"Alright, what are her credentials and intended roles?" Lelouch inquired.

"She's part of the math and science clubs, she's wicked good with math and numbers!" Milly then gave Lelouch a knowing smirk. "Since you've become Emperor my grandfather has been getting money from interviews like mad! So the school's budgets have increased immensely! With all this extra money coming in I figured we'd need a second accountant! Ta-da! Assistant Secretary of Treasury!" Milly giggled. "Not to mention she's one of the girls you went on a date with last year during one of you episodes."

"Episodes?" Lelouch questioned.

"You know, when you went around dating every girl who flew themselves at you!" Milly huffed and frowned.

"Oh right…**that**….." Lelouch sighed nervously, of course **now **she looks familiar….

"Well I don't see a reason to oppose, anyone vote no?" Lelouch asked and everyone else remained silent.

"It's settled then! Welcome to the student council Lucina!" Milly shouted cheerfully and a few other followed her. "Alright, it's time for some real work guys!" Milly said as she flexed her arm and grabbed onto it tightly. "We're almost a week behind in our work and since we have extra help from Euphemia and the Knights of Round we can get it done by tonight if we're lucky!"

"Ready when you are prez!" Rival chided as he sat down next to her.

As Milly and Lucina calculated that their school budget had increased from a measly twelve thousand dollars to nearly a million this made budgeting easier in some way, yet a whole new level of harder.

"Oh geez! The drama club wants to hire a royal tailor now that they know we're rolling in cash! I don't think that's going to happen!" Milly crossed her arms and was about to write "rejected" on the form, but then a thought hit her. "Unless…." She gave an evil grin which Lelouch immediately recognized as _"Lelouch will have to do something embarrassing"._

"Prez…no…whatever you're scheming; no!" Lelouch pleaded.

"Sorry, it's going to happen! The drama club will get their kingly-tailor **if **they allow us to have you cast as the lead role in their next play!" Milly cheered.

Only one clear path would ensure Lelouch not be humiliated yet another year by Milly's torture; he'd have to Geass the head of the drama club.

"Don't think about bribing the chairman with a date either!" she giggled manically. Lelouch groaned, Geass was truly the only clear answer for these situations.

After the budget was finally balanced and Nunnally had come over from the junior high it was well after school hours and the sun was starting to set. The student council usually stayed for some time after school ended and this was right around the time they all started going home or to the dorms. Lelouch stretched his arms out and yawned. Milly took note of how tired he was and decided it was alright for the meeting to end. Lelouch wasn't sure what to do, he wasn't sure if he should go back to the dorms and risk someone bothering him or if he should go back to the palace. He sat and pondered it for a few minutes while everyone was getting up and getting their things put away. Milly couldn't help but notice the deep-in-thought look upon Lelouch's face.

"Lelou, is something wrong?" Milly asked even though she knew that a million things could be wrong right now.

"I just don't know if I should go back to my old dorm room or go to the palace. If I stay here I risk someone breaking in or being stopped in the hallway. But if I call for a helicopter to escourt me and Nunnally back to the palace then we'd have no home setting. We don't have personal bedrooms set up there yet." Lelouch explained.

"Madam prez, he's got a point." Shirley said as she pointed out the window. "I don't think **any **of us are going to get the chance to leave campus. There's just too many people still out there!"

Milly sighed in dismay, she didn't need to look out the window to know that there were hordes of people outside waiting for them. "I've got an idea!" she shouted and slammed her hand onto the desk. Everyone turned and looked to her expectantly. "We'll order a construction crew to build us a tunnel under the school that leads out to a secret location so that we can get on and off campus without being bothered!"

"Yes, great plan. But what are we going to do about **tonight**?" Suzaku asked.

"Well we can call a helicopter to grab us and drop us off at our houses individually for now." Milly suggested.

"Seems like a lot of time and work just to get to and back from school everyday." Gino sighed. As much as he adored this new school life, this idea sounded tedious.

"Why don't we skip school for a while? You know just until the underground tunnel is built." Lelouch suggested.

"And go where? Home? I don't think so!" Shirley moaned. "My mother called me this morning and told me that over eight different news crews showed up at her door looking for me!"

"Yeah, same here. Mom and Dad said there was a bunch of reporters asking to interview me." Rival sighed.

"Well then stay at the palace with me until then. I'll call in for spare rooms until things settle down." Lelouch offered. To commoners like Nina, Shirley and Rival this was a dream come true; living in a palace with the Emperor!

"Does that include Lucina? I mean has she been getting harassed by the press as well?" Rival asked as he pointed to the purple haired newcomer.

"I don't care." Lelouch sighed tiredly.

"I'm alright, for now. I hope I don't get swamped like you guys did, I just remodeled my room…." Lucina sighed.

"Well if you're seen with us often enough you will be!" Suzaku frowned. "Besides you're on the student council now. As soon as the school tells the press this you'll instantly be linked in with us!"

"Then it probably is a good idea, should she choose it." Lelouch offered as he looked to her.

"I'd like to try and stay at my house first, it may not happen at all." She smiled at the offer.

"Alright I'll go make the phone call, I'll be back." Lelouch said as he stood up and left the room.

"Lucina, why are you turning down a perfectly good chance to live in a **palace** full of **royalty**?" Milly asked, most teenaged girls would throw their lives in front of a bus for the chance.

"Well like I said, I just remodeled my room. Plus my big sister bought me a new kitten and I doubt I'd be able to take it into the palace with me." She sighed.

"That's not true, Arthur here lives with me at the palace!" Suzaku purred as he snuggled the grey cat.

"I can keep P-Chan?" she asked excitedly. Suzaku nodded at her with a smile. "Okay then! I'd love to come live with you guys at some big, fancy palace!" she pumped her first into the air.

When Lelouch returned they all packed their school belongings and then headed for the rooftop where they were yet again met by a palace helicopter. Lucina had never ridden on a helicopter before and was quite nervous. They were each dropped off at their houses to collect valuable things and bid their farewells to their parents. Most of them had to dodge the news reporters, some however got caught up in them. Rival for one managed to actually do a whole twenty minute interview before Milly pulled him away from the camera forcefully so that they could go to the next house. Finally they all made it back to the palace and unpacked what little they could manage to bring. Luckily the palace was so big that everyone got their own bedroom and bathroom so there would be no bickering about personal spaces. An entire wing was dedicated to "Emperor Lelouch and his friends" or so Euphemia put it. That night everyone crashed dead asleep; too tired from the day's events to worry about staying up and doing homework and whatnot.

The next three days were spent getting to know one another and just hanging out without real reason because Lelouch had a whole month until he had to fulfill any royal duties and because their secret underground tunnel was being built. The only useful or constructive thing they did was plan for school meetings and club events. The last night they all shared at the palace before they'd have to return to school was interrupted by Cornelia herself.

"Lelouch, I'd like to extend a most **generous **invitation to you and your friends." The purple haired Princess said with a smirk from the doorway.

"I'm listening." Lelouch said from his slumped position on the cozy couch.

"We've organized a formal ball in honor of your ascending the throne. It is to be held next Friday here at the palace. You may invite whomever you wish, but I'd avoid inviting too many commoners; they tend to not know how to act in the presence of their superiors." She said darkly as she looked at Shirley and Rival in particular.

"Now hold on a second Cornelia!" Euphemia stood up. "That's no way to talk to someone that you've never met! As a Princess you should be courteous to all whom you grace with your presence, not go around calling yourself superior!"

"Then tell me this Euphemia, what is the purpose of being royalty if you cannot call yourself superior?" Cornelia crossed her arms and looked down her nose at Euphemia. Lelouch stood up, he'd had enough of this.

"To serve and protect them! You're given money, free food and a castle to live in; safe from the woes of every day life. **That **is what you get in exchange for being royalty, not superiority." Lelouch shouted at her and dismissed her.

"I can't believe this…" she muttered and turned on her heel out of the door.

For once Euphemia couldn't stand her sister's presence, it was as if the old Cornelia was freezing into the hard _bitch _she'd just seen. It was like witnessing the murder of your own sister. A tear welled up in Euphemia's eyes that Suzaku wiped away. Lelouch could only look to the ground, this is the very thing he was trying to avoid.

"Euphie…" Lelouch spoke softly. Euphemia turned to face him. "Ignore her, she's not like you and I. She hasn't experienced normal life outside of a castle. She just doesn't understand _normal _people."

"I know that, but please don't hate her for it Lelouch. I swear she's a nice person underneath her pride!" Euphemia smiled at him.

"Aren't we all?" Lelouch laughed once at himself quietly.

"A ball, huh?" Milly asked herself out loud.

"Next Friday right?" Shirley asked just to be sure.

"You all should invite your parents, it'd be a good chance for you all to see them again since you won't get to see them much from here on out." Lelouch advised.

"Lelou, what are we going to do about Cornelia?" Euphemia asked sadly. "She's still going to the ball isn't she?"

"I don't know, I imagine she would. I'm not going to ban her from it if that's what you're asking." Lelouch assure her and he was rewarded with a sweet smile from her.

"Big brother." Nunnally came out into the living room in her wheel chair. "Look at the news, I can't see it but I can hear what they're talking about." Nunnally frowned. The television was quickly turned on to the news channel. It had been days since any of them watched the news, they feared what may be on here.

"…_**and now to our celebrity reporter. This week during the Emperor Lelouch speech we caught a glimpse of what the new harem might look like!"**_

"**Turn it off!**" Lelouch screeched as he reached for the remote, but Milly withheld it.

"Nuh uh! I wanna see this!" she smirked as she played keep away with the remote

"_**It appears as though the new Emperor already has a long list of consorts. We have confirmed Milly Ashford, Shirley Fenette, Kallen Stadtfeld, Nina Einstein and Euphemia Li Britannia are all seemingly standing along with the Emperor."**_

"Ew." Euphemia said flatly at being called her own brother's consort.

"_**This sounds like the beginning of another consort-marathon just like his father the late Emperor Charles had! He reportedly kept over one-hundred eight royal consorts! Only seven of which bore his children."**_

"**One-hundred eight!?" **everyone shouted in unison.

Dirty old man…


	2. Interview With A Warlock

**Bolmung LK: Warning; there may be a few spelling errors. I got a headache halfway through proof-reading so I may have missed some. Also, issues with accidentally naming Suzaku Knight of Round in the last chapter have been removed. He's only Euphemia's Knight now.**

**COMMISSION: Named Heir**

_Ch. II – Interview With A Warlock_

Now that the Student Council's very own special tunnel had been built under the school they could all return to school regularly. Lucina was fitting in nicely, but Shirley withheld her disagreements with the girl. Shirley was smart enough to know that she can't hate a girl for having been on a measly date with her crush in the past. She was doing her best to let it slide, but it kept nagging at her every time she saw Lelouch anywhere near her. Shirley fiddled with the piece of paper; it was the form for the new clubs that would be forming next semester. She needed to decide which seven of these twelve clubs would be allowed to form. But oh, Lucina glanced at Lelou! Shirley tried tearing her focus from Lucina back to the paper. She skimmed over the names of the clubs; they were usually something god-awful like 'Super Chess Team Elite' or worse yet 'Naughty Minton' instead of Bad-Minton. She wanted to march down to these idiots who named these clubs and shove their forms down their mouths. Normally Shirley was a bright-bubbly girl, but today she was getting ticked off way too easily.

"Shirley, you don't want to burst a blood vessel. I didn't know you hated **paper **so much." Milly giggled at Shirley who realized she had been giving the paper a death glare while strangling it.

"I'm sorry, I was just up most of the night thinking about school. Now that we're practically famous it's hard to keep focus with all these cameras pointed at us every morning. It's just getting to me is all." Shirley sighed as she allowed herself to relax.

For a moment Lelouch felt a tad guilty, this was sort of his fault for being Emperor. Alas he cannot be blamed entirely for it, even while having the option to decline he still had faced being uncovered by the live airing of the will. Lelouch crumpled up the wad of paper in his hands and rubbed his eyes while holding it. He was getting tired, they'd been at school since six in the morning and it was now eight at night. They had to pull a triple shift tonight to make up for the days they'd missed while waiting for the tunnel to be built. Lelouch half regretting ever allowing them tag along with him on the helicopter; Milly and her craziness, yet at the same time relieved that his journey wasn't a lonesome one. Even though he had Geass, Zero, being Emperor and even his astounding intelligence these things alone weren't enough to get him by in the world. Everyone needed companions and friends, because without them the world appears far darker and unforgiving than it actually is. Milly, Shirley, Rival and everyone else were perfect examples of why one needed a good friend to tag along now and again.

"Lelou, why don't we call it quits for tonight." Milly suggested.

"Yeah." He yawned. "I'd like that." He got up and stretched his back.

"I'll go call the car around!" Euphemia said chipper as she skipped out of the room.

"I bet there's a massive line of people waiting for us outside the palace." Kallen commented flatly, she didn't even have to think about it to be able to predict it.

"Everyone just remember to bum rush the palace doors, don't stop and talk to the press. We have interviews set up with news stations for Thursday night already." Milly reminded them sternly as she tapped Rival over the head with a rolled up newspaper.

"Speaking of Thursday night's interview." Suzaku started as he picked up Arthur who made a noise of delight. "On Wednesday I'm taking Euphie to her favorite tailor in France and we won't make it back in time for the interviews I think. Have you all invited your families for the ball on Friday?"

"I sure did!" Shirley raised her hand up cheerfully. "My Mom was incredibly excited and Lelouch even gave clearance for my big brother to come. He's been away on militia affairs since three years ago! It'll be a nice surprise for him!" the orangette smiled brightly, suddenly her rage from before melted.

"Lelouch." Suzaku gave a hopeful smile at him. "Would it be terribly out of order if I invited my cousin?"

"Who is your cousin- Oh, right. Kaguya Sumeragi." He said stupidly as he remembered his childhood in Japan. He, Suzaku and Kaguya all played together as children. "I don't mind." He half lied, Kaguya was a bit frustrating in her youth, perhaps now that she was a teen she'd be a bit more manageable. He'd be lying if he said he missed her, but he was indeed curious to see how she was doing.

"Lelouch!" Euphemia ran back into the room hysteric. "Lelouch there's a big problem!" she said quickly with worry glazed over her eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong Euphie?" Suzaku ran up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Cornelia is here! She doesn't look too happy either." The princess gave Lelouch a look of concern and fear.

"Why is that so much of a problem?" Lelouch scoffed.

"She's with the nobles and they've just appealed a vote amongst themselves." She said as Lelouch began to leer at her.

"What **vote**?" he asked dangerously.

"I don't exactly know, but it could potentially over-ride your new law about the Japanese." She pursed her lower lip and looked to the floor.

"Like **hell **I'll let that happen." Lelouch stood up and moved passed the worried Euphemia. He made his way down the hall, but didn't have to go very far before running into Cornelia.

"Lelouch!" the regal Princess shouted with power. "This ends now." She halted before him and handed him a stack of papers. He took them and looked at the first one rather tepidly. He tossed them in the air and allowed them to scatter across the floor.

"I didn't approve such paperwork." He said lowly as they mad eye contact.

"When it comes to the nobles voting you out of your throne you don't have much of a choice." She leaned forwards over him. "Face it Lelouch, you're not Emperor anymore." She nearly smirked but stopped herself.

"Not unless I approve those papers I'm not. You and your **ex-nobles **have no power to vote me out." He said with a mighty tone.

"Ex-nobles?! S-since when?" she asked mortified as she backed away slightly.

"Since I took the throne. Didn't you read my statement from yesterday? I gave it to Schneizel, he even approved it." He gave her one of his best sarcastic smiles that ended up coming off as 'evil' to her.

"Y-you wouldn't….Please tell me you didn't throw away everything father worked on!" she shivered slightly as she gave him a worried stare.

"I did." He said flatly as he turned on his heel and walked away from the shuddering woman. Cornelia turned around and slowly walked away with a palm to her forehead. She couldn't help but ask herself if she had been demoted to commoner along with her nobles in the process. She immediately returned to the palace to read Lelouch's statement to Schneizel.

"Is everything okay?" Euphemia asked worriedly as Lelouch reentered the room.

"Oh yes." He put on a smile for her. "It was a misunderstanding is all." He sort of lied.

"Oh I'm so relieved!" Euphemia sighed with a hand on her chest.

"Well we should get back to the palace now, shouldn't we?" Suzaku turned to Lelouch.

"Yeah." Was all Lelouch said as he grabbed his school briefcase.

_**XxXxX**_

Lelouch sat lazily at his work desk in the palace. He had the palace crew construct him a fancy office in which to do his evil or saintly deeds in. As where Cornelia and the royal family members themselves hadn't been demoted, all of their subordinates had been demoted to simple commoners. Ironically this included Shirley's mother and Kallen's father to which he offered them better positions under him instead. Shirley's mother was the Tokyo Palace secretary of events and Kallen's father managed the Palace construction schedules and grounds. These roles were less glorious than their previous occupations, but Lelouch offered to pay them more. As where Kallen didn't care too much for her father's new job, Shirley was ecstatic that Lelouch took the time to think of her family's well-being and that he acknowledged that his actions had effects on other people. She was actually starting to feel more proud of her darling Lelou now that she could see him as a ruler with excellent decision making skills rather than a slouch who sleeps during class. It was like his transformation from boyhood to godhood happened overnight, or rather over the course of just a few hours. Little to her knowledge he had been this sort of miraculous deity for some time now; perhaps even his whole life.

"Lelouch, there's something I wanna ask you." Shirley began as she fiddled with her shoes. She was sitting in a comfy chair across his office, her feet dangled to the floor as she prodded her shoes into the ground with a twisting motion.

"Hn?" was the only noise he made, he didn't look up from his desk. Shirley wondered if he was doing homework or signing political documents.

"Have you chosen an escort to the ball yet?" she blushed and turned her head out the window so she didn't have to make eye contact when he inevitably looked her way.

"No, why?" he paused his writing to look in her direction. He was honestly hoping she'd make that first move, but in another way he actually want to formally escort Kallen to the ball.

"J-just…a question…" she lowered her head, she couldn't find the courage to ask her next question. He stood up and stretched his arms upward as he rose up on his tippy toes. To Shirley this looked rather adorable on him, but she'd never admit that.

"I'm going to go get something to eat, would you join me?" he asked casually, not intending to create the confusion that clearly Shirley mistook as asking for a 'dinner date'.

"I-I'd love to!" she looked up at him beat red, he cracked a smile at her and almost laughed, but resisted.

Much to Shirley's disappointment Lelouch invited everyone, she mentally smacked herself for jumping to conclusions. Since it was after ten at night all the palace cooks had gone home for the day and Lelouch was forced to go to a late night restaurant; Tokyo's most famous sushi bar; Sukiyabashi Jiro. Kallen had heard of this place years ago as being hailed the best restaurant to get your sushi fix on, but only the Japanese went there. Nina felt _**very **_nervous being in the presence of so many Japanese people, but she reminded herself that Lelouch had made the new laws for a reason and remained calm. Very few _**ballsy **_Britannians dared to show up due to the conflict they'd receive from their Britannian peer's judgments. She was quite glad to see that Lelouch wasn't afraid of that stereotype at all and that they were all waltzing into the small bar without a shred of fear. An astounding amount of pride and joy welled up in Kallen's chest as they reached the front counter to be seated.

"Hey Lelouch, mind if I ask for the seats? I can speak Japanese fluently." She offered sweetly.

"I can too, but be my guest." He stepped aside.

"Y-you're fluent in Japanese?" she asked with wide eyes as she stared at him. He just nodded at her.

A Japanese woman at the front desk, speaking only in Japanese, said to them. "Hello honored guests, welcome to Sukiyabashi Jiro, how many are in your party?" she said without looking up from the paper on the counter. She was too busy focusing on the seating chart to notice exactly who was standing before her.

"Twelve, please keep us all together if possible." Kallen said in Japanese.

The woman circled some seats on her chart and finally looked up at them then jumped in surprise with a squeak. She eyed Kallen then Lelouch and the rest of the group. She put her hands over her mouth to hide her fearful expression. She then straightened herself out and bowed to them and began rambling in broken English about how sorry she was. She continuously bowed as she panicked and said her poor-English apologies. Lelouch laughed a little then approached her. He put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her from moving around like a fish out of water. In perfect Japanese he began speaking to her with a gentle smile.

"It's alright, we speak Japanese. Just calm down and please seat us. Also please don't alert the paparazzi!" He said coolly and the waitress nearly fainted. Lelouch wasn't sure if her sudden melted state was from being terrified or embarrassed that he had gotten so close to her.

"R-right this way then, p-please…" she stuttered as her teeth chattered.

She led them through the rows of gawking Japanese customers and employees alike. As they were seated in a traditional kotatsu table she immediately took their order, surprisingly everyone, but two people, spoke Japanese well enough to make their own order off of an entirely Japanese menu; those two being Gino and Anya. Milly had to read the menu to Nunnally. They waited for their food to arrive as they goofed off together. Meanwhile; the waitress who took their order ran into the kitchen and began explaining that the Emperor, Princess Euphemia and Suzaku Kururugi were all at the restaurant and had ordered. Every chef immediately went into hyper-mode and made every dish incredibly more elaborate that it normally was. Normally when Emperor Charles was in throne had he of ever come in they would of given him small portions and upped the price, just for spite. Lelouch however was another story, with some of their rights restored upon his first day in command they felt a ray of hope from him. They intended to please him in order to show him that the Japanese were indeed worthy and maybe he'd continue to help them in their struggles.

"So Lelouch, why'd you bring a laptop?" Rival asked as he pointed to the case Lelouch kept at his side.

"Oh, I wanted to show you all what I planned on doing in the Shinjuku Ghetto." He said as he grabbed the heavy laptop and set it on the table. Kallen's eyes narrowed as she glared at Lelouch intently. Anytime Britannia messed with Shinjuku it was a disaster.

"What **plans**?" Kallen asked harsher than she meant to, Lucina noticed this dark tinge to Kallen and gave her a surprised look.

"I plan to help rebuild it, the place is a nightmare…" he frowned as he turned the laptop on. Kallen's grim expression immediately turned into a bright one.

"Oh that's cool, that place was a dump for so long and after Clovis planned to renovate it he managed to make it look worse…" Shirley said, she wasn't sure if she should laugh or frown.

"I know, he didn't renovate at all. In fact he just massacred the place." Lelouch gave his screen a low stare. "Here look at what me and the construction crews came up with." He said as he turned the computer around to show everyone.

It was a before and after picture of the ghettoes that everyone had seen on the news many times. The old ghetto was desolated and demolished by gunfire and fighting. One of the before pictures even had a dead body lying in it. The after pictures were essentially what Japan used to look like before the invasion, except with the technology of Britannia. As everyone rambled on about how cool Japan would look with updated architecture Kallen almost cried. She wanted to cry in absolute joy, Japan was going to be revived. Not just given back in title, but the **real Japan **that the Japanese longed for would be returning.

"Why'd you write the whole document in Kanji?" Rival asked as he noted that every single word and paragraph was written in traditional Japanese.

"Because the construction crew I'm hiring to do it is made up of only Japanese. Almost none of them could read English, so I figured this was the easiest route." He explained and everyone understood.

Kallen wanted to jump up and go call Zero at that exact moment, but she didn't want to miss a moment of this. The waitress returned with their drinks and happened to see the screen and did her best to withhold her shrieks of joy. After she delivered their drink she ran back to the kitchen to tell the good news. The entire kitchen erupted in sheer happiness that could be heard throughout the entire restaurant. The waitresses brought over complimentary sake and a couple of Geishas that they usually reserved only for when the Black Knights dined there in secret. As where Lelouch and Suzaku turned down the Geisha's flirtatious offerings, Rival couldn't resist and Gino became absolutely fascinated with them. Britannia had nothing like a Geisha, not even close.

"This is so illegal…" Lelouch laughed as he took a single sip of the sake, just to be courteous seeing as it was free and he didn't want to trample on the Japanese's courtesies.

"You're obviously gonna let it slide that a restaurant is serving minors alcohol because you're drinking it, right?" Suzaku laughed softly as he too took a sip. Euphemia had heard of sake before, but never tasted it despite being legally allowed to drink at sixteen in the Britannian homeland. Sake, being a Japanese famous drink, was hardly ever served in the homeland. In fact it was down-right rare to find there.

"Of course, besides I think I should lower it in Japan as well. I don't see why there should be two different age-sets for drinking in two countries that I can control." Lelouch said truthfully.

"That is true, however I think you should up Britannia's drinking limit." Kallen gave Gino a knowing smirk.

"No! Please don't Emperor **Lelou**!" Gino begged as he crawled over to him and grabbed his arm as a desperate act of a plea as he bat his eyes at him.

"I won't, in fact I think that might anger Britannia more than the number-area system did." Lelouch tried not to laugh, but the sake took hold of his ambitions and twisted them.

"Oh yeah, Gino the wino is a shining example of such rage." Kallen laughed at him.

She was normally against minors drinking, but she decided that since it was sake and it was given out of gratitude for what Lelouch was going to do for Japan she had some. The food arrived and the dinner was filled with insane giggling from the drunk and mockery from the sober. Everyone was given chopsticks to use instead of Western silverware and a few struggled to use them. Gino, Anya and Nina did their best, but they had never used such a utensil before in their lives. Milly practically spoon, well chopstick, fed Nunnally seeing as she couldn't feel her way around well enough. They all shared a massive bowl of soy sauce in the middle that was easily big enough to fit someone's entire head into. During their drunken meal Rival slapped Lelouch harshly on the back causing him to lurch forwards quickly and his Emperor hat to fall off; straight into the bowl of soy sauce. Everyone stopped giggling and eating to watch as Lelouch used a pair of chopsticks to fish it out and hold up the dripping hat that was once white and now brown.

"You guys think I should still wear it?" he asked jokingly as he let it finish dripping before setting it on an empty plate. Everyone roared in laughter as Lelouch tried squeezing it out enough so that it wasn't dripping everywhere anymore. Lelouch's hands were now coated in sticky sauce and he excused himself to the restroom to wash his hands. When he returned Rival had the dirty hat on, but luckily it was dried off enough to not mess up his hair.

"Rival!" Lelouch said faking anger, he was actually quite amused.

After they finished eating the owner refused to charge Lelouch or give him a bill of any kind. Lelouch instead tipped every waitress and cook generously to make up for it. He wasn't opposed to be given free things, but he didn't enjoy taking business from someone and not paying them anything. As a joke Jiro, the restaurant owner, put Lelouch's soy-sauced hat in a to-go container and gave it to him. This genuinely made Lelouch laugh very loudly. Lelouch hugged the man sloppily and gave him a drunken smooch on the cheek. The man joined Lelouch in laughing. It seemed that a drunken Lelouch was a loving, schmoozing, silly Lelouch. Rival, Lucina, Shirley and Milly insisted on taking pictures of the hat before it was sent to a cleaner, or the trash. Unfortunately by the time they were ready to leave the only people who were sober enough to call the royal escort car were Nina, Anya and Nunnally.

_**XxXxX**_

"Man, last night was awesome!" Rival exclaimed loudly as they all sat in the back of the limo going to school.

"I will **never **drink again in my life." Lelouch said demonically. He turned his gaze out the window, completely disappointed with himself. He allowed the alcohol to control him, he did things he regretted.

"But you were having so much fun being happy and joking around with us!" Rival pointed out with a beamingly.

"I kissed a **man **Rival! There was nothing _'fun' _or _'happy' _about that!" Lelouch barked incredibly angrily. This silenced Rival into a guilt trip. Lelouch noticed the defeated and sad look on Rival's face and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, I'm just hung-over. I have a head ache." He returned his cold stare to out the window. To be honest Lelouch was more embarrassed than angry, he just didn't handle humiliation very well.

"Lelouch you need to relax, no one cared that you kissed a man." Suzaku put a hand on his shoulder which Lelouch shrugged out of stubbornly like a child.

"I mean I've kissed you before and you didn't get this angry." Rival smiled weakly.

"Yes, but that never made it to the press. What if someone took pictures, it'll be all over the internet in no time!" Lelouch turned back to Rival.

"Ohh! Someone's embarrassed!" Gino tried to hide his smile, but it clearly showed up. A blush spread across Lelouch's face as he began to think of a response, but none came to him. Rival stood up slouched over in the short limousine and closed in on Lelouch who immediately sensed danger. Rival lunged at him, but Lelouch blocked his face from Rival's assault.

"No…Rival no!" Lelouch shouted as he struggled against the teen who tried his best to get a shot at Lelouch's cheeks. Luckily the limo arrived at the underground tunnel and Lelouch was able to open the door and make a run for it. It was too bad that Lelouch was easily the slowest one in the group, aside from Nunnally because her electric wheel chair topped out at five miles per hour. Rival caught up to Lelouch and planted the kiss on his neck instead of his cheek by accident. Lelouch scowled and yelped and Rival passed him up and tried to make it to the classroom before Lelouch caught up to him.

So far today was one of Lelouch's worst, it was full of disappointment, unintentional homosexual interaction and dreary homework. He pleaded to the gods that no more humiliation would befall him. Maybe the gods did answer his prayers because he managed to go the rest of the school day without any specific events that caused him to be thrown off of his mental track. He had to come up with a plan to place the Black Knights in a position to where they were either allied with Britannia, or in vacation status. He had to come up with a good excuse as Zero to let the Black Knight know that they're off-duty until further notice without alarming them to his suspicious activity. He ignored his seventh period teacher's lectures as he tapped his pen against his cheek repeatedly. He was Emperor and Zero for god's sake, he should be able to command the whole world, but it wasn't that simple. An idea hit him that made him smile evilly in the middle of class which did not go unnoticed by Shirley or any other girl staring at him.

'_All I have to do is inform Kallen that Lelouch must be protected until the Shinjuku Ghetto is rebuilt. I'll have her become Lelouch's Knight and she'll fight for Britannia. Then I'll-' _

"Lelou, what's wrong?" Shirley asked from his right side. He paused his moment of sheer brilliance to speak to the girl.

"I was just thinking of revenge for Rival is all!" he lied with a gentle laugh.

"Oh, you two I swear!" She smiled back at him. "Whatever you're planning must be diabolical judging by the look on your face." She giggled.

After classes let out they went straight to the Student Council room and picked up where they left off the day before. This time Lelouch didn't join in on any of the joking around the others did. His mind was dead-set focused on how he was going to juggle dealing with Cornelia, putting the Black Knights on vacation mode, beginning the reconstruction of Shinjuku and who he was going to hire to be the ambassador for Japan and Britannian relations. He needed to replace Cornelia as Viceroy of Japan, but he wasn't sure if Euphemia was intellectually capable of it. Her heart was in the right place, but was she capable of receiving and giving commands? He knew she'd do her best, but he needed to think of someone with a deep Japanese connection to Britannia that would assist Euphemia. His line of sight landed upon Kallen, this gave him an idea.

"Hey Kallen." He called out with a smirk. She turned to look at him, but could only give a muffled answer through the piece of toast she had in her mouth. "How is your mother doing lately?" he asked as he gave her a knowing smirk. Kallen swallowed her food in order to speak.

"She's alright, still clumsy as ever. Why?" she asked only slightly suspicious.

"I think I'd like to meet her sometime soon." He said as he turned back to his notebook.

"You want to meet my mother? But why?" she asked a tad freaked out.

"I have a question to ask her."

"What question could you possibly have to ask a woman you've never met before?" Kallen tried her best to not sound upset, but she panicked at the thought of Lelouch discovering her Japanese mother. She knew that Lelouch wasn't racist, but she didn't want **any **conflicts that could possibly come should people at school find out she's half Japanese.

"That's for me and her to discuss!" he said mysteriously. Kallen narrowed her eyes at him with a squint. Yup, he was up to something. "Have you invited her to the ball yet?" he asked casually as he figured she might not have of.

"W-well, my mother doesn't get out often and she doesn't like fancy events. So I invited my step-mother instead!" she lied. Truthfully she didn't invite anyone, not even her father. She didn't bother with it because she knew he'd already show up because he now worked for Lelouch. Her mother and step-mother were too much of a pain in the ass to even begin dealing with.

"Would you please tell her that I'd like her to show up?" he tried to smile, but it came off as creepy more than 'inviting'. Kallen had no idea what Lelouch was getting at, but she nodded in agreement.

"Well tomorrow is Wednesday, me and Euphie need to get going so we can pack to go to France in the morning." Suzaku said as he and Euphemia stood up.

"Didn't you say you weren't sure if you'd be back for the interview or not?" Gino asked.

"Yeah, but we'll definitely be back for the ball. I mean that's the whole reason we're leaving, Euphie is getting a dress custom made just for this ball." Suzaku informed him with a shrug. Euphemia didn't normally indulge herself, but she loved herself a new dress.

Suzaku and Euphemia left early, but everyone else stayed until nearly eight. They packed up and left as a group back to the palace where Gino and Anya had to go do regular Knights of Round training. Rival challenged Nina to a Guitar Hero marathon; it was one of her hidden talents, while Milly, Nunnally and Shirley shared a hot relaxing bath together. Lelouch was left alone to fulfill his duties as Zero in which he made his way to the secret base at around ten o'clock. He had called Kallen in as well so that she'd sit in on the conversation.

"Zero, it's become a major hassle for me to sneak any sort of Black Knight clothing into the palace. I had to burn my uniform before I moved into the palace!" she said in despair. She was sitting in her usual red-fighter outfit that she had worn before becoming a Black Knight.

"It's alright, you won't be needing a uniform for quite a while now." Zero said as he sat down in his comfortable personal room. There were several top leading members of the knights there as well such as Ougi and Tamaki.

"Why not?" Kallen asked as she eyed the man she admired.

"We're going into a 'vacation mode' so to say." He said as he crossed his legs.

"What?!"  
"Why?"  
"What if there's an attack?!"

These were just some of the complaints being thrown out, but one in particular made a good point.

"Ever since this new Emperor took over Britannia has nearly completely forgotten we even exist! At this rate we won't even be needed anymore!" Ougi said as he clenched his fist. "As much as I appreciate getting some of our rights back I'd like to see more out of this _**Emperor Lelouch **_before I agree to lay low."

"Ougi, you make an excellent stand. However it may not be necessary. You see, Lelouch was hiding away as a commoner here in Japan. He's witnessed how the Japanese have been being treated. If he admonished the number-area system while knowing this then he's likely to do more than just that." Zero said.

"He's right!" Kallen spoke up. "You all saw the news, I was standing up on that podium with him while he made his acceptance speech. I've been hanging around Lelouch for weeks now! I've seen what he's really like, he intends to rebuild the Shinjuku Ghettos as they were before Britannia invaded! He's been contracting Japanese-only workers and even employing the Japanese into the Britannian government! I think he'll do more than just this too!" Kallen agreed as she smiled brightly.

"Kallen, it sounds like you are starting to enjoy being around these Britannians! You usually come back with a scowl about how much you hate them." Tamaki said as he took a swig of beer.

"Wait, did you say he plans to rebuild the Shinjuku Ghetto?! Do you remember what happened last time Britannia said that? All they did was massacre everyone in the area and left it a heaping pile worse than when they started!" Ougi slammed his fist down.

"It's not like that this time! Lelouch wouldn't do that!" Kallen retorted almost angrily.

"How can you be so sure? He's a spoiled rotten Prince who's just trying to appeal to the world to make himself look better!" Ougi gave her a glare. "What makes you think he's so different from the rest of his kin? Especially since you yourself mentioned that he was an arrogant idiot before he became Emperor!"

"That was a mistake! I thought he was an asshole at first, I just realized that he was only pretending to be arrogant to avoid suspicion!" Kallen stood up, ready to defend her Emperor.

'_Wait, what? Am I really that close to Lelouch now that I'd be arguing with my fellow knights to defend him?' _she asked herself in thought.

"What has he been telling you exactly? You've changed Kallen. You used to fight against Britannia with such hate and fierce determination, now you're defending them just because they handed us our titles back? That means nothing if we don't get the rest of the package!" Ougi bellowed.

"I promise you that Lelouch will do what no other Emperor of Britannia has ever done!" she frowned at him. "I'll swear to it on my life that he will help Japan rebuild itself!"

Zero smirked underneath his mask. "You're that sure of him Kallen?" he asked.

"Y-yes. I'm sorry if I'm out of line here, but I've been hanging around him nearly every hour of every day for the last few weeks. He hasn't shown a single sign of hatred or opposition to Japan. He even took us to a Japanese restaurant last night and practiced traditional Japanese dining with us! He speaks perfect Japanese and can read Kanji!" He-"

"You can stop there Kallen. I already did my research on him." Zero assured her. "Right now we need to focus on _helping him_ rather than finding his flaws."

"What?!" Ougi stood up abruptly. "You want to **help **the Emperor of Britannia?!"

"Not necessarily. I want Japan to be rebuilt. If Lelouch's focus is set on defending Britannia against us the he'll have no time or resources to rebuild Japan. If we lay low and announce that we're not taking a stand against him then he'll ignore us for now and focus on Shinjuku."

"You actually believe he intends to rebuild Shinjuku?" Ougi calmed down.

"Yes. I can hack directly into his personal computer contents. He has the entire ghetto planned out and he's begun hiring construction crews. I contacted him merely moments ago about a possible temporal peace-treaty in which we will offer our assistance to help rebuild Shinjuku." Zero said as he stood up.

"You **contacted **him?!" Ougi's eyes went wide with shock. Zero either had mad hacking skills or Lelouch was easy to get ahold of.

"Yes. He seemed compliant. He even mentioned ending the war with us if possible. Then again the old Britannia tried that as well." Zero said as he walked over to the main screen and turned it on.

"This." He began as a picture of Shinjuku appeared on the screen. "Is what he intends to do."

"Oh wow, he's put so much detail into it already. Maybe he **is **serious!" Tamaki exclaimed.

"You think it's really possible?" Ougi marveled at the screen of the perfected Shinjuku.

"What exactly?" Kallen asked, she'd seen he pictures already.

"Possible that Britannia, no, this new Emperor Lelouch really intends to help us…" Ougi continued to stare at the screen.

"Yes, I do. I've hacked into his email and everything in it complies with this."

"Hang on! If it's so easy to hack into Lelouch's computer, then how do we know it's not a trap?!" Ougi suddenly returned to his enraged state.

"Maybe I should clear things up a bit. By 'hack' I mean I mean I impersonated a nobleman of Britannia at the Tokyo Palace in which I got onto his computer when he was away at business. Since the castle is so easily infiltrated when you're a Britannian no one suspects you of foul play. It was incredibly easy for me to check his computer and personal documents while he is at school or asleep."

"You crafty bastard, you!" Tamaki giggled. "Think you can add some stuff into his notes? Like send an order for new equipment in to be dropped off at a special point that we'll pick up free of charge?" Tamaki laughed hysterically.

"Not necessary. I can get anything we need without that. Besides it'd be caught easily, such suspicious orders from the Emperor would raise many eyebrows." Zero explained as he sat back down.

"So what now? We lay low, take some time off, then just wait for Shinjuku to be rebuilt?" Ougi asked.

"Almost. What we'll do is make an announcement that according to Lelouch's new law we're going into hiatus. From there Britannia will ignore us for a while and we'll get a much needed break." Zero explained.

"What if they find us during that time? They'll destroy our base because no one will be here to defend it. We'll be walking into their trap!" Ougi tried to argue.

"Well I wasn't going to tell you all this, but you seem to be very mistrusting of my power." Zero began with a heavy sigh. "Lelouch and I have made an agreement. As long as we don't make the first move, he won't touch us; even if he finds us. He doesn't want the Japanese to be alarmed at the new law if he fights the Black Knights."

"As amazing as that actually is, what the hell else are you not telling us?" Ougi demanded.

Zero didn't answer for a moment, he allowed himself some time to think of what else he could possibly tell them that would satisfy them. "How about this then, I've already received a missive from Lelouch to pick up cargo at the bay in Okinawa. It's full of the supplies we'll be using to rebuild Shinjuku."

"**Everything**, we want to know everything!" Ougi shouted.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Kallen hissed at him. "If you keep your faith and trust in Zero then everything will be okay! We don't need to know everything, he'll fix it all for us!"

"Kallen, I have a special mission for you." Zero began. "I want you to confess to Lelouch in private that you're the ace of the Black Knights."

Kallen froze, her gaze turned slowly and horribly to Zero. "Wh-what?" she muttered.

"He'll have a lot more faith in **us **as well if we offer him assistance. Worst case scenario if he tries anything then you can turn on him, but I would hesitate before coming to the decision."

"Woah, woah! Hold on! Who's to say that he won't lose all trust in me as a friend if I did that? What if he thinks I'm an assassin?" Kallen asked angrily. Now it was her turn to doubt Zero's actions.

"Kallen, please trust me on this." Was all he could say.

"I'm sorry, but he's the Emperor. Just because I'm friends with him doesn't mean he'll necessarily trust me once he finds out I'm a Black Knight!" she retorted.

"I was hoping to convince you without having to tell you this, but he already knows."

Kallen's mouth hung open a little, but then closed and chattered a little. Pure fear and other wild emotions hit her chest like she was slowly being crushed under a heavy stone. "D-did….di you tell him?" she whimpered as tears threatened to fall from here blue eyes. "Did you tell him just today?" she asked sadly.

"No, he's known all along. Since before I became Zero he knew you were a resistance fighter." Zero said truthfully.

"Wh-what?! How the hell did he know that?!" she asked more confused than frightened.

"I'm not the one you need to ask that. Just to go him in private and tell him you're becoming his new Knight in accordance with my orders. He won't argue." Zero commanded and Kallen submit. She defeatedly agreed and trudged out of the meeting and made her way back to the castle where she requested a private audience with Lelouch. Much to her surprise, but relief, he wasn't available so she returned to her personal bedroom. She decided to take a shower to allow herself to think and then a nap so that she'd be rested and would be able to think clearly.

_**XxXxX**_

Lelouch had returned to his bedroom at the Palace, he half wondered why Kallen hadn't approached him yet. He laid on his back looking up at his ceiling that was over thirty feet high. He was tempted to sleep, but he knew full well that the moment he dozed off there'd be a guard knocking on his door to tell him Kallen was there to see him. He held off sleep for another hour before caving and falling into a much needed sleep. Lelouch normally didn't remember his dreams, but when he did they were usually rather frightening. This night was no different. He tossed and turned as his own mind tormented him about waking up to not be Emperor and Kallen having abandoned him in his Zero persona. Just as the collapse of the Black Knights was impending he was woken up startles by his own alarm clock.

'_What? Did the Black Knights disband?! Am I back in the dorms?' _his mind raced as his eyes flew open wide. It took him several seconds to let reality settle back in before he looked over to the annoying buzzer. He allowed himself to sigh miserably, but in relief. He turned off the alarm clock and sat up groaning in pain, it sucked to sleep in street clothes. He had well over an hour to get ready for class so he decided a hot shower was in order.

As he washed the memory of the horrid, rancid nightmare away in his palatial bath he couldn't help but feel a tad sad. He looked down at the drain where the soapy water was cascading down off of his lithe body. Even after successfully removing all of the sweat and oil from his skin he lingered in the hot water for several minutes. He just wanted a moment to relax before taking on the inevitable day that was to come. He knew that he'd be talking to Kallen about becoming his Knight, Rival would try to pull a prank or two and Shirley would have something useless to ramble on about. Oh and you can't forget about being beat over the head with a newspaper by Milly. He smiled briefly, he had the strangest friends, then again **he **was the strange one in his own opinion.

He stepped out of the shower, put on his school uniform then made his way to the breakfast table where almost everyone else, excluding Rival, Lucina, Suzaku and Euphemia, was eating already. He noticed the somber expression on Kallen's face, she seemed deeply troubled by something. It wasn't hard to guess, Kallen didn't usually worry over trivial things, so it could only be about her confession that would come later. For a split moment he wondered if she's considered **not **going along with the plan at all, but he knew she was intensely loyal to Zero and would eventually comply. He intentionally took a seat next to her even though there were plenty of seats open at the table that could sit over twenty people. It was usually the Emperor who sat at the head of the table, but Milly had become fond of taking that special seat for herself. Maybe she did it to annoy Lelouch or to mock him? He wasn't about to ask….nor did he actually care about it.

"Good morning my darling Lelou!" Milly smiled at him.

"Good morning…" he let out a long drawn out sigh. Since the table was set up buffet style he could pick what he did and did not want to eat. He would've been able to eat in silence, but Lucina came prancing out of her room singing loudly, and very off-key. She had head phones on and was dancing her way quite obnoxiously towards the breakfast table.

Everyone continued to stare at the violet-headed girl as she sat down and quit singing long enough to begin eating. Lelouch was thankful that food had to go in the mouth; it was a good way to shut someone up. He didn't normally mind Lucina's presence, but when she got into a music kick she could be unbearable. Just like with any of his friends, she had a flaw that annoyed him to no end, singing badly was just hers. Shirley's flaw was continuing a conversation long after her necessary point had been made, Rival's was….kissing. Milly's flaw was just being Milly, her very personality was a chaotic harmony of mischievous and insanity. Well that's being too harsh, Milly was a nice girl and he knew it. He was just simply not in the mood to fool around, he's spent enough time adjusting to his new life as Emperor, it was time to get to business. He looked around at the table to see most of his friends enjoying their breakfast and talking to one another, as much as he wanted to focus he knew they'd manage to derail him with some sort of festivity at school that day. He was lucky enough to dodge having to do that play Milly was trying to con him into doing. Apparently his plea that his duties as Emperor came first worked. Lelouch couldn't help but notice that Rival was not in the room, but decided not to question it. He finished his food lazily then leaned back in his chair and looked at the bright chandelier hanging from the dome ceiling. There was some sort of artsy painting on the ceiling that reminded him of Michelangelo's painting at the Sistine Chapel.

"Hello everyone!" Rival came bouncing down the hall with a big cardboard box in his arms.

"Morning Rival, what's in that box?" Shirley asked.

"Glad you asked m'lady!" Rival said ecstatically as he flipped the flaps open and stuck his hand inside. Everyone, including Lelouch, watched intently as Rival rummaged around inside the box until he found what he was looking for. Everyone kept a straight face as Rival pulled out a professional cinema camera and a stand. Rival set the stand up, put the camera on it and pointed it at Lelouch. As soon as he turned it on Lelouch realized exactly what he was going to do.

"Rival, really?" Lelouch groaned.

"Why not? I've always wanted to make internet videos with you, now they're guaranteed to be a major hit!" he chirped as he zoomed in on Lelouch's sulking expression.

"You plan to carry that thing to school with you?" Milly asked frowning.

"Of course not! Lelouch at school would be boring! This is just for when we're at home!" Rival grinned as Lelouch directly into the camera.

"Before the idea was as a joke. Now it'd be too serious to release to the internet. I don't want to do it anymore." Lelouch turned away from the camera and back to Shirley directly across the table.

"Oh come on! Just a few little things like…like an interview! We're doing a public interview tonight, why not make our own for fun? I'm sure it'd raise your popularity with the teens of Britannia!" Rival tried to convince him.

"That's not likely to work." Lelouch said stiffly as he stood up and slung his messenger bag over his head to rest on his shoulder. "Put it away, or else you'll be late for school." As Lelouch walked out of the dining hall Rival frowned.

"Man, he's acting differently lately. He used to not mind doing random things like this." Rival whined as he turned off the camera and began putting it away.

"Well he **is **Emperor now. You should be expecting him to change a lot more over the course of the next few months. He may not even be the same person by the time he completely adjusts to being Emperor." Milly gave Rival a sad smile. "Besides, he's right. We'll all be late for school if you don't put that away quickly."

"Alright." Rival sighed and took the box back to his room. As Rival walked slowly back to his personal bedroom he could help but get caught up in the moment.

'_Wow, I'm going back to __**my **__bedroom in the __**Tokyo Palace**__! It's amazing, I still keep feeling like it's all just some fantasy or dream. I feel like it'll all be over soon or something, like Lelouch will kick us out once the press dies down and he'll stop attending school. Oh no, that's a very real possibility!' _Rival's heart sped up as he stopped dead in his tracks. He could cry right now, his best friend was in a whole different realm than he. It's only by Lelouch's graces that they're still friends. He was thankful that Lelouch remained his friend, and even more grateful that he allowed him to accompany him through his journey, but he knew it'd end eventually.

"Lelouch!" Milly shouted as she ran after him before he got to the main lobby, Lelouch stopped and turned around to hear what the blonde had to say. "Hey, you should probably go talk to Rival, just for a second. He looked miserable and depressed when you walked away like that."

"Really? He was that upset?" Lelouch frowned, he hadn't meant to make Rival sad.

"Yeah, I was waiting for him to start crying or something." Milly sighed.

"I'll go talk to him." He said as he returned to the dining hall only to find him not there. He then decided to check his bedroom to see if he was there.

Luckily he didn't have to go all the way to his room, Rival was standing completely still in the hallway facing away from him. He walked up to him as he contemplated calling out to him. He placed a hand on Rival's trembling shoulder. As Rival turned around to see Lelouch's innocently confused expression looking back at his own weeping one.

'_He really was crying…' _Lelouch thought sadly.

"I'm sorry.." Rival tried wiping his eyes, but more tears followed. "I overreacted."

"It's me who's sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Lelouch tried to smile at him, but it was hard to smile at his friend's tears.

"I just….I just felt like the real you was dying and being replaced by an Emperor. I'm terrified that when we have to move out you'll stop attending school and I'll never see you again. I'd only get to see you on television or in the news. I don't want to have to see my only **best friend **through the T.V. screen. I want to be able to go out with you on weekends to gamble illegally and snuff out the royals. I still want to be your roommate in a college dorm like we talked about." Rival now cried freely as he allowed the box he was holding to slip to the floor.

Lelouch was actually incredibly moved by his friend's emotions, he was so caught up in being Emperor that he was slowly forgetting who he was beyond the crown.

"I promise Rival, I won't stop attending school. We'll still be college roommates and you can live here as long as you like." Lelouch smiled at him. Rival couldn't stop himself from the impending hug he was about to give Lelouch, however Lelouch beat him to it. Through their hug Milly stood at the end of the hall smiling. She too had feared Lelouch's transition to a true Emperor, she had tried to prepare herself to face a Lelouch who didn't see them as 'friends' anymore. This moment gave her hope that maybe she'd never have to see that day come. When she noticed that Lelouch was trying to end the hug but Rival wouldn't let go or stop sobbing hysterically about 'friendship' she walked over to them.

"Okay, break it up!" she called out. "The limousine is probably here to take us off to school."

"Alright!" Rival cheered. "Just let me go get my book bag!" Just as he was about to let go of Lelouch he took this golden-opportunity to plant another kiss on Lelouch's cheek and haul ass back to his room. Lelouch yelled at him for being a fool as he wiped his cheek off. Rival ignored him and ran happily for his dear life into his room where he grabbed his school bag and gave himself a once-over in the mirror.

Once inside the limousine everything was calmed down, except for Lucina who was whining about her favorite headphones getting broken. She had been wearing them and shook her head way too hard and the went crashing to the floor. Shirley promised to go shopping with her on the weekend to buy new ones and it immediately brought Lucina back to her usual happy self. Once at school they all went to their classes. The trudged on slowly, but everyone was happy that it was finally lunch period. Before he became Emperor Lelouch would either ditch school and go with Rival to get something to eat, or he'd sit with Milly and the others at a table way off to the side of the cafeteria. Now that he'd become a living god in his classmate's eyes he had to stay in the Student Council room with everyone while the teachers brought them their lunch. Lelouch made the mistake of trying to go to the cafeteria in person, he'd never do that **ever again**.

"Man it sucks, lunch was my favorite class too. I always got to spend a whole hour doing nothing but eating and wandering aimlessly around the school!" Rival pouted. Aside from Shirley lecturing on how lunch wasn't considered a 'class', everyone agreed that it was a drag to be trapped in a classroom the whole day.

"We need to make a room specifically for us to get away from the chaos when we need to. This lunch and homework hour business is a mess!" Milly sighed. "Maybe I'll have grandpa build a wing just for the Student Council to escape to!" she chirped as she sat up with an excited expression.

"Wouldn't that be a tad over the top Prez?" Shirley asked.

"I think…it's a good idea." Nina spoke up, it was rare that she ever gave her opinion on something.

"Whoa!" Rival laughed out. "If Nina agreed to something so much she said something then maybe it **is **a good idea!"

Nina immediately regretted speaking, she always felt like someone was judging her. The only time she could speak freely without fear was in the presence of Euphemia who backed her up on nearly everything she said. Nina made a relaxed expression that went unnoticed by everyone else who began discussing the possibilities of this extra room."

Lelouch cell phone rang and he excused himself to answer it. He quickly realized that he had nowhere to go in the upper floor to get privacy. He answered the phone as he walked down the hallway. "Hey, don't say anything until I tell you to." He spoke as he walked up to the elevators and waited for one. Much to his relief it was empty when he got into it. "Alright you may speak."

"Zero, this is Ougi. I just wanted to tell you that we got the delivery for the supplies to rebuild Shinjuku."

"Good. Now have everyone begin organizing crews with specific tasks. There should be a demolition crew of Knightmare Frames to haul the rubble away, a crew that will sweep the land flat, another to rebuilt the irrigation system and electrical outlets. Then there should be the building construction crew that will-hold on."

Lelouch paused his conversation when the elevator stopped and let a teacher inside. The teachers were lectured intensely on to not bother Lelouch unless absolutely necessary, so the male teacher remained completely oblivious, or ignorant, to Lelouch's presence. Lelouch continued to "elevator party" as he rode it up and down as many times as he needed to be alone. Very few people actually used the elevator and Lelouch didn't think it important enough to tell the few that did ride it to not get on. He didn't want them to be alerted that he was either acting suspicious or if he was having a cybering call. He'd like to avoid as much rumors floating around him as possible so he tolerated these few elevator passengers.

"Alright, there should be a crew that will begin construction of major buildings. They won't be active for a few more months to give the other crews time to prep the zone for reconstruction." Lelouch informed him.

"Sounds good, what major buildings are getting built first?" Ougi asked as he prepared to write down everything Zero told him.

"The Emperor has sent me a list of buildings we're allowed to construct first. They are as follows; an all-Japanese merchandise factory, a food processing plant, several clothing and apparel stores, thousands of citizen houses and apartments, two banks, a few hotels, a few dozen supermarkets and of course city-hall." Lelouch said as Ougi wrote as quickly as possible, but forze on the alst one.

"C-city…hall?" a ray of hope burst through Ougi's mind and into his shaking voice.

"Yes, there aren't many details on why there's a City Hall, but I suspect he's going to allow us to rebuild a small government to help Britannia push Japan in the right direction. He's made no statement of this to the public yet, so don't leak it. " Lelouch smiled, he knew Ougi must've been incredibly happy to hear that.

"Really? You think it'll actually happen?" Ougi asked more than just happily, he was down-right adrenaline rushing.

"Maybe, we'll have to see. For all we know it could just be for the Britannians to hold an office in Shinjuku. We have no way of knowing yet." Lelouch tried to calm him down. If word got out that Lelouch intended to restore Japan's government Britannia would shit itself a new Emperor.

"Alright! I've got everything written down. I won't tell anyone of the City Hall until it's released publicly. Just one more question. When does the construction begin?"

"I don't know yet. He still hasn't released the statement that he's even rebuilding Shinjuku. The only reason we know is because he showed some of the Japanese his plans. He'll probably make a formal announcement soon." Lelouch explained.

'_More like tonight…' _he thought.

"Thank you Zero! I'll get the supplies and crews organized by the end of the month! Please focus on getting us a construction date. That would help us immensely."

"Alright, I will." Lelouch said then hung up. He finished his elevator partying and returned to the Student Council room to see everyone eating already. He sat down and joined them for some peace. Once again, eating was a good way to silence someone. After school was over and they finished their Student Council duties for the day they headed back to the Palace to prepare for their interview with a local news crew.

"Hey Lelouch, I was thinking…since you've been hiring family friends for jobs around the castle, why not give me one so I can quit my crummy bartending part-timer?" he gave Lelouch a sly grin.

"I'll think about it, but I don't know what job you'd be good at besides pouring me a drink…" Lelouch smirked at him.

"Oh come on!" Rival crossed his arms. "I can be your secretary or something!"

"That's Mr. Ashford's job." He pointed out flatly.

"Alright I can…be the secretary of your secretary!" Rival gave a cheesy smile.

"Not necessary…" Lelouch frowned at his friend's failed attempts to sound useful.

"How about Nunnally's secretary?" he asked again.

"That's Milly's job, and no, she doesn't need a secretary herself." Lelouch was starting to lose the amusement in this conversation. As Lelouch changed into his white half-jack, pink undershirt and white pants he tried to ignore Rival's blathering on about possible jobs.

"Secretary of your dirty laundry?" Rival said only half-serious. Lelouch paused fixing his hair to stifle a mildly amused laugh.

_**XxXxX France (Wednesday/Yesterday) XxXxX**_

"Oh it's beautiful Tiffany!" Euphemia said in delight as she twirled around in her new solid-white dress.

"I'm glad you like it Princess!" the black haired woman sighed in relief. She was so nervous when she heard that a Britannian Princess wanted **another **dress from her made in less than a week.

"I'm sorry to ask you to make a dress this nice in such a short amount of time. I was only informed about the ball mere days ago. I normally order a custom dress weeks or months in advance." Euphemia smiled sheepishly at the young woman.

"It's not a problem in the slightest!" Tiffany smiled at the Princess.

"I'm just glad Lelouch demolished the number-area system before father or Schneizel could give France a number. It would've been so awful to witness." Euphemia said as she continued to admire herself in the three-way full length mirror.

"Euphie, we might want to start heading back soon. It's only twenty hours until the interview in Japan." Suzaku reminded her as he helped her walk off of the podium and back to level ground.

"Alright, just let me give the dress to Tiffany so she can put it special wrapping so it won't get ruined on the flight back." She said as she followed the black haired woman back into the dressing room.

After having the dress sent back to their hotel room in a separate car, Euphemia and Suzaku left the boutique` and made their way to their own escort car. Suzaku didn't want to be tired for the interview so he planned on leaving immediately and sleeping on the plane. Euphemia however had an entirely different schedule.

"Suzaku, I want to dine in France one more time before we leave. I love French cuisine and it's so hard to find it in good quality in Japan." Euphemia stated as she looked out the window to see French bakery after confection stand pass by her window.

"But we may not make it in time if we stop again." Suzaku noted.

"Oh it's just a silly interview! I'm sure Lelouch and his friends can handle it alone. We've been interviewed plenty of times before, it's not like they'll get much new information out of us." Euphemia explained, but she knew her argument didn't hold up well against Suzaku who was very by-the-book with these things. Suzaku had no right to refuse a Princess's demands, but Euphemia herself requested that Suzaku help her stay in-line when it came to politics and her public image.

"Euphie, are you sure you're okay with not being there for your little brother on his first interview? He might get grilled…" Suzaku frowned. He wanted to be there for Lelouch, his best friend, but then again Lelouch may not even need him.

"I'll make you a deal, I'll consider it a _**date **_if you join me for dinner!" she smiled at him knowingly. Suzaku blushed lightly, had the offer of been from anyone else in the world he would of passed it up, but this was coming from Princess Euphemia herself. How could he decline?

"Deal, but let's make it somewhere close by our hotel." He gave into her demands. She squealed in delight and hugged him from across the backseat of the car.

They walked into the fancy restaurant hand in hand where they were immediately seated in a small and personal two-seater table. They table was only big enough to fit two plates and two cups and its occupants faced each other with shared leg-space. This left Euphemia's right foot in-between Suzaku's feet. Every once in a while their feet or legs would touch in a gentle brush-up that sent sparks throughout them. Since France had no legal drinking age limit they were served wine which they sipped as they made casual talk. After they ate and their plates were taken away Suzaku agreed to sit for another few minutes to just enjoy the scenery. Secretly, Euphemia didn't want to leave the restaurant, or go back to Japan that night. She wanted to stay right there in that chair alone with Suzaku and the dimmed lights of the French parlor. There was something about the French culture that allured so much to Euphemia, but not so much Suzaku. He wasn't overly fond of French food or culture, but it wasn't by any means unbearable to him.

"Ahem…" a waited coughed softly as he walked up to them. "Would the lady like a complementary rose?"

"Oh no thank you, I'm afraid it wouldn't be allowed with me on my plane-ride back to Japan." She gave a bitter-sweet smile at the man.

"Would you perhaps be interested in some strawberry champagne in that case?" he offered again.

"I don't think it's a good idea. We don't want to be intoxicated for our trip back home." Suzaku tried to reason and Euphemia agreed.

As the man bowed and walked away to leave them alone Suzaku attempted to stand up as if he were going to leave. Euphemia stayed still with her head down slightly. She stared sadly at the candle in the middle of the table that had already burned half way down. Suzaku wasn't ignorant enough to simply not notice Euphemia's forlorn demeanor. He sat back down and asked her what was wrong to which she simply shook her head. He witnessed a dripping tear fall from her chin and he felt a smack of guilt hit him. He feared his eagerness to return to Japan was making her feel pressured.

"Look, I'm sorry. We can stay in France if you want! We can miss the silly interview; it's no big deal to me! Really!" he rushed his words as he tried to quell her as he wiped her cheek with the back of his hand. She reached up and gently placed her hand atop his as it remained against her face.

"It's not France, I just…." She paused to stifle a sob. "I just feel like I've missed my only chance." She whispered.

"Chance to do what?" he asked as his other hand went to her hair to stroke it.

"I wanted to…" she looked up at him with watery-violet eyes. He looked into her eyes with uncertain worry; mystified by what had gotten into her so suddenly. If eyes were truly the 'windows to the soul' then Euphemia had one beautiful and bright soul. She suddenly let go of his hand, leaned forwards over the table and placed her lips upon his very gently. At first Suzaku barely even felt her lips, the contact was so minor. He was the one to tilt his head up to meet hers the rest of the way and press him lips into hers harder. She planted her hands on the table to hold herself up as he placed his on the sides of her head over her hair. Her lips moved very slowly in a lazy caress. He returned the effort by parting his lisp far enough to catch her upper lip between his.

"So when are you two getting married?" said a little smiling girl with her hands behind her back as she twisted back and forth swaying. Suzaku and Euphemia slowly broke apart to look at this young child and laugh light-heartedly. Suzaku opened his mouth as if to answer, but he couldn't find the right words to tell the girl.

"I don't know." Euphemia smiled brightly as the young child. "He hasn't asked me to marry him yet." She said to the girl but her eyes locked with Suzaku's tauntingly. Suzaku let out a small chuckle and turned to the blonde girl. He leaned over to her to whisper into the girl's ear.

"She doesn't know yet, don't ruin the surprise!" he smirked and the little girl winked back to signal that she'd remain quiet. She skipped away back to her table across the room leaving Euphemia baffled.

"What'd you tell her?" Euphemia asked smiling widely. Honestly it was a lie, Suzaku had never considered proposing to Euphemia, they weren't really a couple. Euphemia had confessed that she loved him just recently, but today was the first day that they'd ever kissed. Marriage was still a long way off for them should they become lovers.

"That you're my girlfriend." He lied with a horribly obvious smile.

"Really?" Euphemia knew better than that, she decided it wasn't as important as what she was about to say though. "So I guess I'm your girlfriends now?" she asked shly as she tried to look around, but it came off as goofy rather than non-chalant.

"Only if you wish it, Princess." Suzaku blushed deeply at the thought.

"Well, _boyfriend_, we have an interview in Japan that we don't want to miss. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to know we came back just to tell them the news." Euphemia laughed out as Suzaku did a mental cheer.

Best lie he'd ever told in his life.

_**XxXxX Japan (Thursday/Present Day) XxXxX**_

Lelouch and the others had gotten into formal clothing for the interview. Nothing overly fancy like tuxedos and ballroom gown, just formal blouses and the girls had gotten their hair and make-up professionally done. Just as they were getting into the transport limo Suzaku and Euphemia's escort car pulled up to the castle. Since they had gotten to sleep on the plane they weren't too tired to quickly prepare and join the others for the interview. Everyone began discussing possible questions they'd be asked and the correct answers to them. Lelouch even gave them a protocol just so that no one said anything stupid.

"No one mention my works with Japan or Britannia. I'll answer those questions myself. Even if you think you know the answer please just let me be the one to tell them about it. Only answer questions pertaining to yourselves or, if relevant, about me personally. Business answer I'll handle myself." He instructed and everyone agreed.

"Does me getting a job count as business?" Rival asked.

"Not really, that's your personal life." Lelouch said. "Just don't mention the "secretary of dirty laundry"…." Lelouch frowned. No one else besides Rival and Lelouch had a clue what that meant.

They made it to the news station just in time for the announcer to start talking to the channel viewers about how they have the Emperor on station. Everyone in Britannia, Japan, the other Britannian colonies was watching their television at that moment. Even some other irrelevant countries tuned in just to watch what Lelouch had to say. Cornelia, Odysseus, Schneizel and every royal in Britannia had their eyes glued to their screens. There was no way Cornelia was missing a moment of this. Ougi and the Black Knight all watched intently as well, they wanted to see if the things Zero said were really true.

"Now welcoming his royal highness, Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia!" the news anchor shouted as Lelouch walked onto the stage. He sat down in the chair adjacent to the news desk as the live-audience ceased their clapping.

"So Emperor, how should I address you tonight?" the interviewer man asked.

"Lelouch should suffice for tonight. I don't mind being called by just my first name if no fancy wording in necessary." He said with a nervous smile. He could handle speaking to people in person, but he'd never really been on television for the entire world to see before; his acceptance speech was another story though.

"Alright Lelouch, in the reading of you later father's will, Emperor Charles, he mentioned you'd been away on renaissance duty to better understand the commoner. You took up this mission as a small child, before Britannia invaded…Japan…What made you go to Japan to complete this self-assigned mission?" the news man asked.

"Well, that's hard to say. The truth is…I." he paused he wasn't sure if he should tell such a big lie, especially since his siblings were watching. Not to mention his friends knew the truth. "To be honest it wasn't my original mission. I simply left Britannia for personal reasons. I chose Japan for no particular reason back then, although I'm glad I did now. After Britannia mercilessly invaded Japan and took over only then did it become my mission to remain there and witness the common life for myself."

Lelouch was able to relax after giving his answer.

"Wow, what made you leave Britannia at such a young age?"

"Pass..." Lelouch said nervously.

"Alright, next question. It was mentioned once before that you knew Suzaku Kururugi before he became Princess Euphemia's Knight. How and when did you two meet?" the older man asked.

"I met Suzaku the day I arrived in Japan as a child. Suzaku, Kaguya and I all played together in Japan as children. After Britannia invaded Suzaku and I were separated so Nunnally and I went to live with the Ashfords." That one was actually the truth.

"Wow! So the Emperor of Britannia and the Prime Minister of Japan's son were friends since before the invasion?!" the interviewer's eyes went wide as his jaw dropped. Lelouch nodded his head with knowing smile.

"Yes, I always thought that was incredibly ironic myself." Lelouch agreed.

"Is Suzaku Kururugi here tonight?" the mans asked as he straightened himself out.

"Yes, he's backstage awaiting his turn." Lelouch said.

"Well let's bring him out!" the man said ecstatically. An assistant ran back stage and summoned Suzaku to the stage where he sat next to Lelouch on the comfy sofa.

"Suzaku Kururugi, let's here this from your side. How did you meet Lelouch, the Emperor of Britannia?" the man asked now thoroughly interested in this side-story.

"Before the invasion. We were both such brats back then and we didn't get along at first, but we became best friends after just a few months of living together in the Tokyo Palace at just ten years old." Suzaku snickered at Lelouch who gave him a sideways glance.

"You started the fights, not me." Lelouch smirked.

"You finished them…" Suzaku retorted with a smile.

"It's amazing how close you two sound! Back to the main topic, has your friendship changed at since then?"

"Nope." Suzaku answered simply.

"Not at all truthfully, we've been going to school together since almost a year ago. So had it of changed we'd of noticed by now." Lelouch added.

"Well the Kururugi topic was one of the most popular among our staff that everyone was dying to know. Onto the next topic, did you have any fore-warning that you were named the heir to the throne before the live reading of the will?" the man turned back to Lelouch who shook his head.

"No! In fact I wasn't even prepared to come back into the royal family yet." Lelouch said truthfully.

"So what made you decide to accept the will on such short notice?" the mans asked.

"I didn't have to think too much about it to be honest. Milly and Ruben Ashford clamed me down from the hype of the announcement and got me to think clearly. So I was able to make my decision that same day. What really drove me to accept it was the fact that I'd spent the last seven years as a commoner and I saw how poorly the Japanese were being treated by my father's laws. It was one of the many things he and I disagreed on. I thought that the sooner I took the throne the quicker I could fix the problems in Japan and other nations that had been degraded by a number."

"That's the first time I've heard a member of Britannian royalty take a stand for the other nations. Obviously Princess Euphemia was the first when she Knighted Suzaku here, but your plea is truly a driving home-point for the Japanese." The man praised Lelouch. "What are your current plans to help fix the current state Japan is in? Or have you not yet had enough time to make such plans?"

"Well I would've announced my intentions to the public sooner, but I was saving them for tonight. I want to rebuild the Shinjuku Ghettoes. I know when my late brother Clovis tried to it didn't end so well, but I'd like to give it an honesty try. I've already made contracts with some constructions crews to begin planning for the entire city." Lelouch answered. The live-audience consisting mostly of Britannian reports went crazy.

"That's amazing! A rumors has been running around that you recently visited a sushi bar in Tokyo where you unveiled to the staff that you were going to rebuild Shinjuku. What made you decide to do it there?" the man asked as a picture of Lelouch hugging the owner Jiro. Lelouch thanked the heavens that it was a picture of **just **the hug and not the kiss.

"I was only going to show my friends because one of them takes a high _**personal **_interest in Japanese relations. I didn't intend for the staff of the bar to see it, but I didn't mind too much. I knew showing it off there would likely expose it, but it's not that big of a deal.

"I find it a little unusual that the Emperor would choose a sushi bar of all places to dine."

Lelouch shrugged.

"Do you like sushi?" the man asked.

"It's good, I just don't eat it often." Lelouch was failing to see how this interview held any relevance to his ruling as Emperor and decided it was time to put an end to the foolish questions before he became humiliated. "I'd like to stick to business related questions now."

"We'll do just that. So then, a question for business. What are your plans for dealing with the Black Knights?" the man asked. Lelouch was honestly a tad startled by this, he hadn't thought of a good answer for the public for it yet.

"Well, ever since I took the throne they haven't done much of anything. As long as they stay that way I won't bother with them too much. Of course, should they make a move on me there will be consequences, just like anyone else who'd' try to." Lelouch gave an almost dangerous leer at the interviewer.

"That's a mighty frightening look you've got there Emperor!" the man laughed nervously. He wasn't sure if he'd angered Lelouch to not. "Next question; do you have any intentions of calling a truce with Zero? With all that you're planning to do with Japan it hardly seems like the Black Knights are needed at all! You're fulfilling the dreams that the Black Knights have sought for so long."

"I won't go as far to say as I'll make a peace treaty with Zero. Rather I'd like to make that truce with the Japanese public as a whole; Black Knight included simply because they too are Japanese." Lelouch said.

"I see, excellent answer in my opinion. Now, you've nearly obliterated the nobles of Britannia. Why did you do this? Many Britannian ex-nobles are outraged!" the man asked, this was more or less of a personal question for him.

"Simple. They weren't necessary, they took up time, money and resources, they caused a lot of trouble squabbling over territory and personally I find them to be rather useless. The way I want to rule this empire makes them irrelevant. If anything I'd rather have nobles of individual nations rule their own nation under Britannian's control than have Britannian nobles dominate every area-nation."

The man looked at Lelouch with wide eyes. "Does that mean you intend to restore each nation's nobles? What about their governments? Are you giving back the statuses of these nations' people?"

This was the question the entire world was waiting for. Around the world ex-nobles of every conquered nation gripped the armrests of their seats until their knuckles turned white. Suzaku was no exception to these people. If Lelouch agreed to restore nobles and governments to conquered nations of Britannia it meant two things. One Britannia would be at a civil war with itself. Two Suzaku would likely become Prime Minister of Japan or some other high ranking title. Suzaku dreamed of becoming Viceroy of Japan just to help the people. Every nation would regain their independent law-systems back. Lelouch's very answer could tilt the planet a new axis. Kallen, from back stage, watched the back of Lelouch's head as she awaited his answer. Her heart beat so fast she became a little red in the cheeks. The Black Knights sat in sheer silence during this moment, some of them on their knees in pure anticipation. Ougi was sitting on the edge of his seat gripping the ends of the arm rests as he hunched forwards looking at the screen. He shook very slightly; the suspense was making him feel unreal.

Japan and every other defeated nation breathed deeply with their hearts set aflame. This was the most silent the world had been in a very, **very **long time. The fact that Lelouch took more than a whole minute to calculate his exact answer was pure torture for some. Cornelia grit her teeth like sandpaper on rocks as her eyes death-locked her television screen. Everyone knew that the tomorrow of the entire world rested upon the very tip of Lelouch's tongue and he knew it. For a moment Lelouch tried to persuade himself into giving an explanation first, but he knew the world deserved his answer immediately. Milly and the others watched in a calm adrenaline induced state as their darling Lelou was about to make world history.

Then it happened, the one word the planet Earth longed to hear for many years.

"Yes." Lelouch said flatly.

Screams of joy, shrieks of agony and moments of silence in sheer disbelief; these were the things that befell the world in this moment. The Black Knight popped champagne bottles and sprayed them at one another madly. Cornelia pounded her fist into her wooden desk until she sprained her wrist. Odysseus dropped her win glass to the floor where it shattered into pieces. Britannian ex-nobles wallowed on the floor in agony and distraught. Kallen started to tear up a little as the entire back stage of the news office erupted in loud cheers and shouts.

It took over thirty minutes for the news station to calm down before continuing the interview.

"Emperor, I thank you from the bottom of my heart." The man said as he let out a long sigh. Being Japanese himself he was very relieved to hear Lelouch's answer. "But please, explain in which manner you will accomplish this."

"Simple, Britannia will remain in absolute control of its conquered nations." Lelouch began. The world silenced once more to listen to him speak.

"Each nation will have its own minor government and royal house. Even if the nation didn't previously use a monarchy system, it will now. You will have a figure-head of what used to be your Viceroy. Instead this nation's representative will most likely be of the nation's native race. This person will report directly to me in all matters regarding their corresponding nation." Lelouch spoke as the world once again was set on the edges of their seats.

"Japan, for example, will have its own government that will control Japan's laws and citizens. All laws this government makes will have to be passed by me for approval so that no obnoxious laws are created that favor one nation over the other." Lelouch said as he took a deep breath. He knew that right about now his siblings, aside from Euphemia, were raging at him. "Instead of being a prisoner enslaved by Britannia, conquered nations will be _**allies**_. Britannia's army will protect its married nations seeing as they are territory of Britannia. Each nation's Minister will be assigned by me personally."

The Black Knights danced around wailing champagne everywhere and exchanged drinks of sake. Ougi placed a hand over his mouth as his eyes teared up a bit. He fought so hard as he awaited this day for many years. Tamaki and Inoue held hands as they extended their arms and spun around giggling madly. Many other knights jumped up and down hugging.

"Zero..." Ougi choked out happily. "I hope you're watching this, wherever you are." He said as he stared at the image of Emperor Lelouch on the screen.

Maybe, just maybe the world wasn't as doomed as Ougi had once thought. Maybe this new Emperor Lelouch really was Japan savior. After having heard the entire interview about Lelouch and Suzaku he now had faith that Britannia could be allies with Japan.

Cornelia writhed in her chair uncontrollably. Odysseus placed a calming hand on her shoulder which she mostly ignored." That's it!" she shouted and stood up. "I'm going to end this false empire Lelouch has created before he tears Britannia down brick by brick!" she screeched as she marched out of the room.

Odysseus began fearing for his younger brother's life, but he agreed. Lelouch needed to be stopped immediately. It may be too late. Schneizel remained quiet, as per his Geass he didn't oppose Lelouch's speech.

Back at the news studio they called out all of Lelouch friends to begin the second part of the interview now that the chaos was starting to die down at the studio.

"Milly Ashford, grand-daughter of the Emperor's personal assistant Ruben Ashford, how did you feel when Lelouch became Emperor?" the man asked.

"I had never felt so excited in my life!" the blonde cheered. "My darl- I mean Emperor Lelouch was growing up before my very eyes at that moment. He just suddenly became a grown man out of nowhere!" she chirped.

"How about your Ms. Fenette?" he turned his attention towards Shirley.

"Oh, uhm… I couldn't believe what I was seeing! My classmate had become Emperor of Britannia within just a few hours. One minute we're at school like we always are then the next we're at Tokyo Palace celebrating his ascending the throne! It was unreal, I thought I was dreaming!" Shirley said as she had begun one of her ramblings.

"And you Rival Caramonde?"

"I was incredibly confused at first, I thought maybe it was a mistake or they had the wrong Lelouch. When I burst into manly tears before him I realized he really **was **a Prince, I just never noticed it!" Rival blathered.

"Nina, would you like to comment?" he asked the young girl.

"Oh uhm, I was…I was very…honored to have known his highness this long…I was also surprised to find out he was going to be Emperor…" she mumbled and blushed profusely.

"Princess Euphemia, it must have felt very relieving to know your younger siblings were doing so well this entire time. How did you feel at that moment?"

"I was so happy, it was probably the happiest I'd ever felt in my life! When Lelouch and Nunnally walked through the doors to the palace I thought I was seeing the past being relived!" she said ecstatically.

"Miss Kallen Stadtfeld, would you like to comment?"

"Of course! I was beyond thrilled to know my Vice President of the Student Council would be earning the highest title in the world; Emperor of Britannia. I didn't wake up that morning expecting to be on television with him at his acceptance speech and I certainly didn't expect to be living at the palace with him like this!" Kallen said happily.

"Suzaku, any words?"

"Sure! I knew Lelouch was still alive, but he forbid me from telling anyone. It would have of ruined his mission, so I wasn't surprised that he was alive. I was however surprised to hear that he was being offered Emperor. I never thought he'd claim the throne so early in his life!" Suzaku said putting on a slightly phony facade.

"Alright, this next question is for Emperor Lelouch's lady-friends." The man began as he gave the girls a knowing smile. "Have any of you ever kissed the Emperor before?" he made a goofy perverted face that creeped Lelouch out, but amused everyone else.

"She has!" Milly held Shirley's hand up as she pointed to the shrieking orangette. The cameras zoomed in on Shirley who tried hiding her face into her free hand in embarrassment. She's get revenge on Milly for this someday.

"None of you other three?" the man asked as he looked to Milly, Nina and Kallen. He didn't expect a response from Nunnally or Euphemia because it was no big deal if he had kissed them or not. "Aww, Miss Fenette is the only one?" the man pretended to be sad as he gave Lelouch a wink. Lelouch blushed lightly but mostly just tried not to cause a scene by showing his opposition to such a question.

"I've kissed him before!" Rival finally gathered the balls to announce. Everyone in the audience laughed thinking he was joking and Lelouch prayed it stayed that way. Rival stood up and Lelouch knew immediately what was coming.

"Rival, no!" he shouted and nearly got up out of his seat to run away. Much to his relief Rival sat back down and made a goofy grin.

"What's that all about? We love a good kissing story, do tell!" the interviewer requested.

"Just no, please no." Lelouch more or less commanded than pleaded.

"If it's kissing stories you want to hear about, Suzaku and I have kissed!" Euphemia giggled and the cameras began to focus on her. She successfully diverted the situation away from Rival and Lelouch to spare him the agony of public humiliation like Rival intended. Lelouch would have to give Rival a good lecture about how to behave with him in public when the interview was over.

"Princess Euphemia! Please tell us more!" the man asked.

"Me and Suzaku Kururugi went on a date in France yesterday." She said simply. Suzaku leaned in and whispered something to her. She whispered back and Suzaku nodded. He grabbed her hand and cleared his throat.

"Princess Euphemia and I are a couple now." He stated with a warm smile. Euphemia immediately leaned over and kissed him on the cheek to which he blushed madly. Somewhere in the Tokyo Palace Cornelia lost her mind. She couldn't take it anymore, this whole night was too much to bare.

As everyone finished gasping over Euphemia and Suzaku's new relationship they eventually turned their interview back to Lelouch.

"Emperor Lelouch, this next question is for the ex-nobles of Britannia. What do you plan to do with Britannia as a whole? How do you plan to lead Britannia into the future if you're so focused on the past?"

"Good question." Lelouch began as he sat up straight on the sofa. "In the past Britannia was an empire that sought to control the whole world through dominance and sheer power. The Britannia I wish to create for the future would be a much more peaceful empire that focuses on improving the world's conditions rather than focusing on war. I don't need to control every country to create a more gentle and peaceful world. My father's motto 'Only the strong survive and the weak are left behind in the march towards progress' is an obsolete one. The weak and defenseless shouldn't be left in the wake of the strong. If the strong nations take just mere moments to look behind themselves and offer help to the weaker nations then I believe the world as a whole will begin to enter the future era of true peace." He paused as more cameramen ran onto the stage before him to get at all angles of his speech.

"The path towards the future is not one of a single nation conquering the world, that serves no point. The future is defined by every nation as an individual coming together for peace. Fighting our way into the future only sets the entire world back. The future doesn't lie in the path of destruction; it awaits us in the path of world peace. I realize that such an astounding feat will likely not be accomplished in my lifetime, but I will try my best to put it on the right track to it."

This speech did quell some Britannian fears about Lelouch's sketchy reign, but most of the Britannian royals completely disagreed with him. Very few were showing support for Lelouch and many were beginning to plot against him.

Lelouch answered many more political questions that the common man didn't privy himself to. Within the next couple of hours the interview came to an end and everyone was prepared to leave the news station. They were helicopter lifted back to the Palace because the entire news station surrounding was swarmed with either supporters or rebels. Once at the palace Lelouch pulled Rival off to his office to speak with him alone.

"Rival, I'm not mad." He began as he slumped down into his office chair. Rival immediately knew what this was about. "Just please don't ever try to do something like that when we're in public. I can tolerate your quirky pranks when we're with just friends, but I can't have something so _improper _ruin my image as Emperor. People would begin to think that it's okay to just run up and do whatever they want to me."

"I'm sorry man, I wasn't actually going to do it. I just wanted to scare ya…" Rival frowned.

"It's not that big of a deal right now, just keep in mind that I **am **the Emperor when in public. When we're alone I can be just Lelouch, but only then." Lelouch explained to Rival who gave a bitter-sweet smile.

"Like I said, I'm really sorry. I knew it was probably a bad idea to say anything of the sort on live television, but I simply couldn't resist!" he smirked.

"I'll probably laugh at it later, but for now I'm exhausted. I'd like to retire for the night." He lied. To be honest he just wanted to become Zero and head back to the base to check up on how the Black Knights reacted. Speaking of reactions, he dreaded his next run-in with Cornelia….

He called Kallen to return to the base as well. He wanted to know exactly why she had yet to comply with her assigned mission. He entered the _messy _mess-hall and took a look around to see his fellow knights either drunkenly passed out or still jumping around dancing. He was relieved to see that they'd taken it well, he was slightly nervous that their pride would be hurt by their titles being just force-fed back to them instead of earned. Honestly Lelouch felt they had well earned their nation back and fully intended to continue helping them as Emperor and as Zero. He made his way passed the celebrating knights who cheered out to him and went into his main office room. As soon he entered the large office he was met with Ougi, Tamaki, Inoue and a couple other top leading Black Knights. Ougi immediately stood up and approached him with the most vibrant smile Lelouch had ever seen on the man.

"Zero! You saw the Emperor's interview right?!" he asked as he stood before his leader weeping happily.

"Yes, I did." Zero replied.

"Isn't it amazing? We're getting Japan back!" Ougi suddenly forcefully hugged Zero and tried to jump around with him, but Lelouch remained still and unmoving. Somehow he was starting to have visions of Rival…

"Alright settle down Ougi…" Zero sighed out and Ougi let go on him with an apology.

"Zero!" Tamaki began as he took a swig of booze. "What do the Black Knights do now? I mean we're useless now, right?"

"No, not entirely. Emperor Lelouch may need us. I predict that the ex-nobles and royals of Britannia will be in an uproar soon. Emperor Lelouch would need help defending his new laws and ideals should there be a civil war within Britannia." Lelouch explained. "There's no way the Britannian mainland **isn't **pissed off right now. I'm going to ask Emperor Lelouch if he'll accept us as his _**personal army**_."

"Woah! Seriously?" Tamaki's eyes went wide.

"Yes, Kallen failed her mission to become the Emperor's Knight. So I'm going to just bluntly ask Lelouch himself to commission us as a mercenary army for protection." Zero said. As if on que Kallen entered the room and stood beside Zero.

"Zero." She said flatly. He turned to her and awaited her next line. "I'm sorry I didn't approach Lelouch. It was just an inconvenient day to do so. I'll request a private audience with him tomorrow. It should be an easier time to talk to him." She explained.

"I see. I'll hold off on the personal army bit until then."

"Personal army?" Kallen asked confused. Zero had to give her an explanation that if she were to fail to become Knight of the Emperor then he'd ask Lelouch to assign the Black Knights as his personal army. Kallen understood and sat down with Zero on the large sofa. A sudden train of Black Knights danced down the hallways passed the office door could heard, very loudly.

"All hail Emperor Lelouch!" some of them shouted. Normally this would be seen as a joke or an outrage, but tonight they all understood why such a thing would echo through the halls of the Black Knight base. To Zero this was a little unexpected, but very rewarding. He was certain they'd show support for him, but go as far as to shouting their hail to him at a party? He was more pleased than surprised, this meant that his job as Zero just got a whole lot easier.

"Zero, are you happy with the new Emperor as well?" Kallen asked a bit hopeful.

"Yes, very much so. I couldn't have picked a better Emperor myself." He smirked behind the mask. Kallen allowed herself to breathe a breath of relief as she relaxed. Zero's approval of Lelouch's reign was one of her wishes since his acceptance speech. She knew Zero liked Lelouch's new laws, but had still been having the slight fear that Zero would do to Lelouch what he'd done to Clovis. Now that she'd heard him say that he wanted to **protect **Lelouch instead of fight against him she didn't have to worry anymore. Kallen looked over to Zero and looked him up and down. His posture, his aura, the way he spoke and even the simple hand movements all screamed 'heroic-leader' to Kallen. Everything about him drew her into him like a moth to the flame of desire.

Kallen would be lying if she said she didn't have an unusual attachment to Zero. Her admiration of the man went far beyond commander and subordinate. She dared to say it ventured into the realm of personal attachment. She felt something shoot through her chest like a bird escaping from its cage. It was light, fluttering and a very freeing feeling. As she continued to stare at Zero, who was speaking to Ougi and Tamaki, she couldn't help but just feel his power radiate to her. Like some sort of godlike figure hiding behind a dark mask. The messiah of Japan was indeed godly in Kallen's mind. Even Toudoh the miracle worker was an average human compared to Zero. She absentmindedly leaned towards Zero and their shoulders touched. She immediately correct herself and straightened back up with a slight blush. He ultimately ignored her, but it's not like he didn't notice it. The touch gave Lelouch a slight feeling running up and down his spine, but he tried his best to ignore it to continue his conversation with the others. Kallen lowered her head and looked away to avoid staring at him any longer.

"Kallen, we're going to dismiss the meeting now." Zero ordered and stood up. She blinked and her head quickly lifted up to look at him. Her heart beat quickly as he extended a hand to her to help her stand up as well. As soon as he placed her bare hand into his gloved one something hit her. This time Kallen could not remain oblivious to this feeling any longer, she felt the spark of _romance _spread through her. He grasped her hand tightly and pulled as she stood up, the pressure on her hand send another feeling throughout her. When he let go she retracted her hand back to her chest where her other hand went around it. She stood there blushing as the final thought went through her head.

'_I'm in love…aren't I?' _she thought as she looked up into Zero's faceless mask.

"Kallen, are you alright?" Zero asked, he was indeed a little worried. Maybe this had something to do with her mission to become Lelouch's Knight.

"I'm okay, I'm just tired is all." She lied and gave him a bitter-sweet smile. Zero knew Kallen wasn't simply 'tired' as she claimed, a tired Kallen was a grouchy Kallen; not a whimsy Kallen.

"I know you better than that Kallen. What's really bothering you?" he asked as he placed his right hand on her left shoulder. Kallen blushed at this act and she looked down at the floor.

"It's personal." She sighed as she admitted to defeat. This time it wasn't a lie, and Lelouch took her word for it.

"Alright then, the next meeting isn't for another week. Just remember, Lelouch already knows you're a Black Knight. He isn't going to react badly to your offer. If anyone who knows you as the sickly and frail Kallen you can just lie and say that you were secretly working with the military on Knightmare Frame training." He said and Kallen thought for a moment.

"That would work quite well." She agreed.

Zero let Kallen return to the palace first, he knew he shouldn't arrive at the same time as her; it'd be suspicious. So he hung around the base with Tamaki and Ougi for another hour before heading back himself. He once again waited for Kallen to request a personal audience with him. When she yet again didn't arrive at his door he became impatient. He set out to find her and did so at the shared living room. She sat on the sofa with her knees bent up, her feet on the cushion and her arms wrapped around her kneed with her head down. He approached her and sat down beside her. She was clad in nothing but tiny black shorts and a bright yellow tank top. This was rather odd to him since she was at a palace, he expected her and everyone else to dress better when not in the confines of their own bedroom. He himself wore a completely white pajama set, granted he was barefoot, but still. She didn't know who had just sat beside her, but she figured it was Milly or Shirley.

"What should I do?" she asked weakly. Lelouch had only heard her like this few times before. She usually reserved her sickly, frail voice for when she was at school. Even here at the palace she allowed most of her true personality to shine out.

"Depends." Lelouch began as Kallen's head lifted up immediately as the sound of the male voice. "What's your problem?" he asked trying his best not to smile mockingly.

"Oh it's you, I thought you were Gino at first, I was ready to kill you." She sighed as she let her legs drop so that her feet were on the floor. She quickly looked all around to make sure they were completely alone. Since it was two in the morning everyone else was asleep, much to her relief. "Listen, I need to talk to you." She started.

"I know, and this is not the place to do it. Let's go to my office." He offered as he stood up. Once again he offered her his hand and she took it. This time the skin to skin contact was vastly different from Zero's. She didn't get quite the same aura from Lelouch that she did Zero, yet there was still an air of power coming off of him nonetheless. As he led her to the room she prayed that this would go over as well as Zero had promised. Once inside the office Lelouch locked the door behind them, this was almost a red flag to Kallen until she remembered that if he had truly wanted to capture her then he would have of done it sooner and that he's been contacting Zero himself. Her capture would also cause his issues as well. She dropped her naïve and girly act entirely at this very moment.

"Lelouch." She said boldly as Lelouch turned to look at her just an intensely. "I'm acting under orders from Zero to attempt to become your personal knight to protect you from whatever danger you could encounter from Britannian rebels. We the Black Knights wish you to continue your job towards helping Japan, in exchange I, the ace of the Black Knights, will protect you from your foes." She said strongly.

Lelouch, for some odd reason, was incredibly pleased with her sudden burst in power. He'd seen her like this when he was Zero, but he was excited to see her behave like this to him as Lelouch.

"You want the title of being my personal Knight? Are you sure you can handle that, Kallen?" he asked almost wickedly.

"Yes, I can. If I can fight off Cornelia and even that White Knight Lancelot then I can protect you." She said as she glared over at him from across the room.

"I accept. Kallen Kozuki-Stadtfeld I dub thee Knight of Britannia, Knight of Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia." he said royally as he made hand motions over her shoulders. She knew this was where she was supposed to bow to him, but something inside of her outright refused to lower her head. Lelouch allowed Kallen to stay risen and ignored her lack of groveling.

There stood a half Japanese woman, Knighted by the Emperor himself. The world was suddenly shifting underneath its own weight. Lelouch told Kallen that tomorrow he'd make her Knighthood formal by making an announcement during the ball where he'd Knight her publicly there. Kallen agreed and he dismissed her for the night. Both of them needed sleep for the ball that was to come the next day. Kallen went back to her room feeling almost invincible. It wasn't normally like her to gloat in her own mind, but this was simply irresistible. She was the Knight of the Emperor that control a third of the world! Anyone would lose their mind with pride at this moment.

She calmed herself as she climbed into bed and got under the covers. Her palatial bedroom was massive, twice as big as her bedroom at her father's mansion. She had a walk-in closet the size of the average person's entire bedroom, a bathroom with a bathtub big enough to fit ten people and her own bed chamber with a bed twice the size of the average king-sized mattress. She felt like true royalty while staying at the palace, but she knew it wasn't a permanent deal. Eventually she'd be sent back to her father's house where she'd reclaim her old bedroom. Just then a thought hit her, if she's Knight of the Emperor then she'd have to be by his side constantly, she'd be living in the palace forever. She wasn't sure if she liked that too much, she might come to feel trapped. Her final thoughts before dozing off were of what may come for her in the future. Little did she know just how long she would stay at Lelouch's side.

_**XxXxX Friday XxXxX**_

"Oh come on!" Rival whined pathetically. "You know I love you like the divine Goddess that you are! Just one?!" he pleaded miserably. Milly sighed and rolled her eyes, this wasn't anything new.

"Why should I?" she crossed her arms and looked at him with a frown.

"Because I love you! You know this!" Rival sobbed hysterically. "I'd treat you better than Lelouch's future consorts would treat him!"

This made Milly laugh more than feel appraised. Rival was getting some new good lines in today, usually his pleas were over-used and cliché. She smiled gently, but not out of pity.

"I'll make you a deal." She grinned mischievously as she winked at him. His eyes glued to her mouth as he awaited her next statement. She leaned over closer to him and places a soft hand on his wet cheek.

"I'll go on _one _date with you **IF **you become a Knight of Round!" she teased with a cheesy grin. His eyes lit up like stars going super nova.

"Really?! You'll date me if I become a Knight of the Round?!" he asked ecstatically as he flailed slightly.

"Mhm!" she moaned seductively, just to further mock him. Rival immediately turned his attention to Lelouch where he gave his best puppy face.

"What?" Lelouch asked, he hadn't been paying attention to their silly rabbles.

"Make me a Knight of Round, just for one day!" he begged with a big goofy smile.

"I would rather not, it'd be a mockery to the real Knights of Round who earned it." Lelouch explained, he had no intentions of abusing his powers to help his friends hook up with chicks.

"What about an honorary Knight of Round? Just a title-only deal!" he tried to reason.

"No Rival. If you want to be a Knight of Round I suggest you go practice with a Knightmare Frame…" Lelouch groaned out irritably.

"Did I hear someone say…" Lloyd began slyly as he entered the breakfast room. "...become a Knight of Round?" he grinned knowingly.

"Yeah! I need to become a Knight of Round before prom!" Rival whined as he ran up to the man.

"Well that's an awfully big goal my friend. You'd best start with training first. On a side note I need to know where Suzaku is. He's on call for duty." Lloyd said as he turned to Lelouch. "Your highness, do you know where Kururgi went?"

"He's not here. I believe he went with Euphemia to the military base already." Lelouch said. Lloyd bid his farewell and Rival sulked on the ground. Gino entered the room to see the gloomy Rival and kneeled down next to him.

"Hey man, what's gotten into you?" he asked.

"Milly won't date me until I become Knight of Round." He whimpered.

"No problem! Stick with me and I'll show you a few tricks to piloting a Knightmare!" Gino stood up and let out a loud boasting laugh.

"R-really?!" Rival shouted as he stood up.

"Yup, just follow me to training tomorrow and I'll show you all you could ever need to know about piloting!" Gino gave him the thumbs up to which Rival cheered loudly.

As Lloyd walked down the hallway as if to leave the palace he accidentally turned a wrong corner and managed to get himself lost. He could have sword he was going the right way, but it appears as though he was incredibly wrong. Luckily he spotted a young girl at the end of the hall and decided he'd ask her for help navigating the maze known as Tokyo Palace. He was good with scientific mazes where there was only one clear cut answer that could be deduces from research, but there was no 'research' to be done to a building that had so many rooms and connecting halls.

"Excuse me young miss, do you know how to get out of this place?" he asked as he approached her. The girl turned around to see him and became just a little startled.

"I…uhm.. You go down this hallway and…you make a right…then you go down the stairs…and the lobby is on the left…" she stuttered as she looked to the ground. Lloyd wasn't overly fond of the shy, but anyone who knew their way around this obnoxious maze had to have a decent brain in their skull.

"I thank you, might I get your name miss?" he asked innocently, but this came off as lecherous to her.

"I'm Nina Einstein." She asked sheepishly.

"I've heard of you! You wrote that report last year that knocked every other scientists' away! It's in my favorites section! I'm pleased to meet you in person!" he grinned, suddenly his opinion of her brightened.

"Th-thank you! You're Lloyd….Asplund aren't you?" she asked as she recognized him from all the videos on the internet about advanced Knightmare technology.

"Ah hah! I see the young Nina knows her scientists!" he smirked, he'd have to meet her in person again sometime. "Well I'd best be off, I have to fetch Kururugi for military duty." He waved her goodbye. He only got to the end of the hall before realizing that even with instructions he was still lost. Nina noticed his perplexed expression and smiled. She approached him and stood next to him again.

"Allow me to show you out." She smiled, he usual shy-self began to melt somewhat.

"Why thank you!" he said cheerfully as they walked down the hallway together.

Back in his office, Lelouch decided to do a little online research. Since he and the others were taking the day off from school to be able to attend the ball he wasn't worried about being late to class. As he Googled a few things that weren't listed on regular political websites he happened across a website that raised his eyebrow. He knew he should click and should just avoid it, but his curiosity got the best of him. As soon as the website was opened he closed his browser. Never again in his life would he look at a website about rumors of his personal life. He didn't need to know what the world thought his penis looked like. He opened a new window and redid his search. Yet another website caught his attention, but on a whole different scale.

'_Down with Lelouch; the Britannian culture is dying' _he thought as he read the title. He opened the website to find many of the commoner and ex-nobles displaying their hatred for him. Many of them foolishly posted threats against him, but most were just ignorant comments. One however made Lelouch grimace.

"_**Princess Cornelia herself has organized a meeting between the royalty of Britannia and the ex-nobles. They are probably discussing how to over-throw Lelouch. I think the end of Emperor Dipshit is coming soon! Princess Cornelia already said that if Ledouche is gotten rid of then she'll restore the titles and those filthy numbers will get put back in their places. I can't wait, Lelouch needs to just drop dead already. I hope they take his useless sister with him, Nunnally is too weak to even be a normal citizen. Anyone who can't walk on their own two feet just needs to die and quit taking up space in the world! Only the strong survive! Only us superior Britannians should be allowed to rule! Lelouch spent his life as a commoner, he doesn't understand the needs of the nobles. He's ruining this empire, soon we'll be nothing but hippies spoon feeding third world nations. DOWN WITH LELOUCH!"**_

It wasn't the name calling or the outright fact that Cornelia herself was plotting against him that bothered him. He knew Cornelia intended to dethrone him, but what made him so irritated was how the majority of Britannians agreed with the outdated theory that only the strong should live. His father's own words were what controlled these mindless fools. How dare they insult Nunnally, they have no right to speak to their Princess that way! He then got an idea. He registered with the website and created a false account. He used this account to pretend to be an ex-noble in which he began posting.

"_**Princess Cornelia said that she'd bring power to the ex-nobles. With only the ex-nobles in power Britannian commoners will be left with nothing except poverty. She intends to take all the wealth and power and give it to her select few special friends in the noble ranks. We commoners will be left with the numbers at the bottom of the food chain. She won't deliver any justice to us. Cornelia wants to make anyone who isn't nobility or royal be assigned a number."**_

He allowed the post to sit for a moment as the others to comment in. Most inquired to what he thought would actually happen, but only a few tried to stand up for Cornelia. He smirked as comment after comment piled up onto his post. This was one of the top leading political websites, even though the government didn't acknowledge it as anything official, it still held a lot of influence over the people. He closed his computer and forgot about the website entirely. He wouldn't return to it nor would he think about it any longer. He simply wanted to anger the man who made the original post. Which he succeeded, the man was right now raging against Cornelia from behind his computer screen.

'_Such naïve people, they'll believe anything the hear or read. It's __**them **__that's inferior for believing such nonsense. Both sides of that argument are wrong and until the world sees that weak and strong can live in harmony then the world is doomed.' _Lelouch thought solemnly.

He returned to the breakfast hall where Kallen was eating with Shirley and Milly. Thankfully she'd gotten into proper attire before coming to breakfast. They exchanged glances, but did not make eye contact as Lelouch sat down at the head of the table. Luckily Milly had decided that the head of the table wasn't **her **spot that day. Shirley blushed when Lelouch's hand brushed up against hers as they both reached into the fruit bowl at the same time. Lelouch noticed the girl's reddened face and laughed lightly. He allowed her to get her apples before he got his, just out of sheer courtesy. Milly sliced an apple for Nunnally as she ate in absolute silence. Lelouch had noticed that Nunnally wasn't acting her usual cheerful self lately, but he chalked it up to the pressure to become a Princess again. He'd mentally noted to spend more time with Nunnally soon, with all his business as Zero and Emperor he was seeing her less and less.

"Emperor Lelouch!" came a woman's voice shouting from the other side of the doors to the breakfast room. Suddenly they durst open to reveal a woman with a microphone followed by a cameraman.

"What the..? The press aren't allowed on Palace grounds!" Lelouch shouted very angrily.

"We're sorry, but there's a death outside, they're evacuating everyone inside!" she pleaded as she got down on her knees.

"What?! Who died?" he asked as he ran up to the woman. She looked up at him with evident fear, but he wasn't sure if it was entirely from the murder. Maybe it was out of fear for intruding in on him.

"A young woman was caught trying to enter the castle, the guards just open fired!" she began to cry slightly, a tear rolled down the side of her cheek.

Lelouch ran out of the doors and pushed passed the hordes of people trying to get inside. Normally he wouldn't do this, but he had a bad feeling it was someone important. Nina and Lucina weren't at breakfast, it could've been one of them. As he finally reached the palace entrance he stood among the people who were either screaming in horror or whispering to one another. He got a glimpse at the body and scowled darkly. This was going to be a **real **problem.

**Bolmung LK: If it turns out there are a lot of mistakes I'll go back in and fix them shortly.**


	3. The Black Army

**COMMISSION: Named Heir**

_Ch. III – The Black Army_

Lelouch had ordered the body of the shot woman to be transported into the Palace's medical wing immediately rather than being taken to a regular hospital. The media, his friends and even the guards of the Palace awaited for Lelouch to give the command that it was okay for the medical staff to examine the shot woman. Kallen, Shirley, Rival and the others sat around the breakfast table as they ate slowly in utter silence. A guard walked into the room, bowed, then headed straight for Kallen where he leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"His highness has requested your presence in the medical wing. He's in room two-hundred two."

Kallen nodded, stood up and excused herself from the others. She walked slowly down the hall until she was out of sight of the guards or any Palace staff. She then burst into a full-on run down the halls and up two flights of stairs. Should Lelouch find out the identity of the shot woman then Zero was in big trouble. She made it to the room and stopped to knock on the door rapidly.

"Come in." came Lelouch's stern voice. Kallen entered the room to witness C.C. sitting on the window sill looking out into the blue sky as Lelouch sat cross-legged on the chair to her left.

"Lelouch, you must know that she's-"

"I know who she is." He said then took a deep breath in anticipation.

"How did you stage her getting shot like that?" Kallen asked as she eyed C.C.'s unmarred body.

"I **didn't**. The witch decided she'd try sneaking in as a food cater and got caught without an I.D. badge…." Lelouch groaned and looked up to the frowning woman.

"It's not my fault." C.C. said as she turned her head away from Lelouch. "You're the one who forgot to add me to the acceptance list."

"If you thought you were on the acceptance list why did you have to sneak in?" he asked angrily. "I never told you I was allowing you into the Palace! I know the Government is looking for you and if I were to suddenly allow you on premises it could expose us!"

"Calm down, you're the Emperor. You can do whatever you want to, why not clear the search for me?" C.C. glared back down at him.

"Because then anyone who was looking for you would immediately take suspicion of me! People who are after you know about Geass, that would tie me into it." Lelouch retorted.

"Geass?" Kallen asked as she looked from the flustered Lelouch to the uncaring C.C.

"I called you in here to explain to you what Geass is. As my Knight you'll need to know what I'm capable of and what you need to be prepared for." Lelouch began as he stood up.

"Alright, what's Geass?" Kallen asked as she crossed her arms and listened well.

"It's…." Lelouch thought for a moment, but C.C. sighed.

"Have you ever watched Cartoon Network as a kid?" C.C. asked abruptly from her seat on the window.

"Yes, what child didn't?" Kallen replied rhetorically.

"Did you ever watch a cartoon in which the main hero had super powers after an incident?" C.C. asked again, Lelouch realized what she was getting at and sat back down dramatically as he covered his eyes with his hand.

"Uhh...I guess." Kallen leered at her strangely.

"Did you ever wonder if those super powers that heroes got were **real**?" she asked with a smirk that made Kallen frown.

"Don't even try to tell me-"

"Geass is a super power, and I've given it to Lelouch." C.C. adored the disgruntled look upon Kallen's face.

"I don't buy that for a second!" Kallen placed her hands on her hips stiffly.

"I just got shot and I'm still alive and you **still **don't believe me?" C.C. shifted her position so that her legs were dangling to the floor.

"It could have been a rubber bullet or fake blood! I'm not a complete idiot! Just what do you two take me for anyways!?" Kallen growled loudly. If this was a prank she was going to kick Lelouch's ass, emperor or not.

C.C. leaned forwards and reached into Lelouch's front pocket to pull out a hand-gun. She cocked it and pointed it straight at her own head. "Please Kallen, I don't enjoy shooting myself. But I must do whatever I can to help Lelouch in his goal. If shooting myself is what it will take to convince you I'm immortal then so be it." She said flatly. It was a tad unnerving to see someone point a gun at their own head and talk so casually.

"It's not even loaded I bet…" Kallen scoffed.

The gunshot's boom pierced Kallen's ears as a slight concussion wave hit her in the chest. As the bullet passed through C.C.'s skull and into the mirror adjacent to her, C.C.'s bloody body slammed against the ground and the metallic gun clanked on the ground where it slid a couple inches away. Kallen let out a shriek-like gasp as she took a step back and eyed the lifeless body in horror. Everyone in the main part of the Palace heard the gunfire as well and a slight uproar broke out. Some guards wanted to rush in and protect their Emperor, but others held their orders to stay away. Kallen dropped down to kneel before C.C. and touched her shoulder. C.C.'s hand reached up and grabbed hold of Kallen's wrist. The green haired witch leaned up to glare Kallen in the eyes demonically. Her ominous expression mixed with her inhuman eyes made Kallen realize that this wasn't a joke.

"Okay…I get it…" Kallen slumped down onto the floor completely as she remained in C.C.'s grasp. Kallen watched in horror as the woman sat up into a sitting position. The blood trickled down the side of her face and down her neck; that intense gleam never leaving her glare. Kallen couldn't help but linger her sights upon the superhuman-like wound.

"Good, I dislike the idea of shooting myself again." C.C. said as she stood up and examined herself in the shattered mirror across the room. "Great, now I need to change again." She said snarky as she grimaced at the blood on her clothes. She stripped herself to her plain white bra and undershorts then went into the duffel bag and grabbed another set of clothes.

"Kallen, you must realize at this point that Geass isn't a game. It cannot fall into the wrong hands, and I believe that **you **are the _'right hands'_for Geass." Lelouch said boldly as he stood up and pointed at the trembling woman on the floor.

"Immortality…..is **real**?" Kallen mumbled to herself; still not completely over the fact that C.C. was alive. Lelouch frowned, he knew normal people would react to C.C. with sheer surprise, even fear, but he hadn't prepared himself to the reality of the situation.

"Yes, and Geass is a power that C.C. can grant you. Allow her to give you Geass so that you may better serve Zero and I." Lelouch nearly commanded. Kallen looked up to him and she began to try and stand up, but she slipped in C.C.'s expelled blood puddle. Her azure eyes widened at the sight of the crimson that stained her legs. It was real blood; as real as the fear in her eyes. Lelouch leaned forwards and extended his hand to her. Kallen took the hand shakily and allowed him to help pull her up off the floor. When Kallen was firmly on her feet C.C. turned around in a new outfit. The witch smirked at Kallen who was trying to regain her composure.

"So how did you become…immortal anyways?" Kallen leered at her up and down.

"I received Geass from another who was also immortal. Upon the day that my Geass became powerful enough I took the life of the one who bestowed me with the power in the first place. In exchange for becoming immortal I now live aimlessly as if my entire existence is composed of nothing but endless experiences that serve no true purpose." C.C. said flatly as her smirk fell into a calmer expression. For a moment Kallen felt sympathy for the woman, she'd never known why C.C. acted the way she did, now she had a brighter insight.

"So you always feel pointless? Like your very life has no meaning or value?" Kallen asked as her fear slipped into sorrow quickly.

"Exactly, which is why I'd like to move this entire scenario forwards. Kallen, would you like to make a contract with me?" C.C. asked as she extended and palm-up hand towards the redhead. Hesitantly Kallen reached out for her hand, but hovered just above it.

"What contract?" Kallen asked with her eyebrows squeezed together.

"The same one I gave Lelouch. Accept the contract and you shall receive Geass. In exchange for your new ability you shall use it until it becomes powerful enough to destroy me. After that either you or Lelouch will become immortal; whoever takes my life will have an eternal existence in my place." C.C. explained.

"Wait, did you give Zero a Geass ability too?" Kallen asked wide-eyed.

C.C.'s smirk returned.

"Kallen, if you accept this Geass contract then you will become far more powerful than you are now. Depending on the ability you receive you could help Zero retake Japan and also to help me reconstruct this world from the ground up." Lelouch said sternly.

"Depending on….the ability I get?" Kallen asked as she blinked at Lelouch.

"Geass manifests itself differently in everyone." C.C. began as Kallen's sight switched back to the woman in front of her. "It can vary from mind reading to mind controlling and anything in between."

"Mind reading and control? What would I get?" Kallen asked slightly more excited than she should've been.

"I don't know that yet, the only way to find out is to accept it." C.C. said as she lifted her hand up to touch Kallen's whose hand twitched at the contact.

"You said this will help Zero and Lelouch rebuild Japan?" Kallen asked, C.C. knew this was the final question.

"Yes." C.C. smiled at her and Kallen nodded.

"I accept your **contract**." Kallen said and C.C. Geass symbol on her forehead lit up brightly. Lelouch sat back in his seat and watched as C.C.'s Geass transferred into Kallen.

_**XxXxX**_

"I hope that gunshot wasn't at Lelouch!" Rival whined from his chair at the breakfast table.

"I'm sure it wasn't, the only people in the medical wing are Lelouch, Kallen and a dead girl….who would shoot him? Certainly not the corpse!" Lucina chirped trying to cheer Rival up.

"Lucina, that's insensitive! You can't call someone who just passed a _**corpse**_!" Shirley hissed at her.

"Well she was trying to break into the Palace; she mustn't have been a good person." Lucina tried to reason.

"Attention everyone!" came the voice of a guard from the end of the room. Everyone stopped their chattering and turned to face the guard. "His royal highness, Emperor Lelouch, has requested that everyone assemble in the great hall for a meeting."

"Oh so he's alright! That gunshot wasn't him?" Shirley asked hopefully.

"He appeared unharmed when he spoke to the captain of the royal guard moments ago, m'lady." The guard answered.

Everyone entered the meeting room and took a seat in the assembly of chairs centered around on main chair. Lelouch sat in the main chair and Kallen and C.C. sat off to his sides. As all of Lelouch's main friends sat around him he prepared himself to make one of the biggest speeches he'd ever make to his friends. After dodging several questions about how the green haired woman who got shot was still alive he'd managed to calm them down enough to explain.

"This is C.C., she's an old friend of mine. Don't worry she's fine. I've asked you all to come here because I have an announcement to make." He began and everyone listened quietly. "Kallen has been absent from school a lot in the past couple of years due to an illness. This is a lie." He said dramatically.

"Wh-what?" Milly asked bluntly.

"It's true, I'm not ill. There's an entirely different reason I've been missing school." Kallen lowered her head in near shame. She was proud to be a Black Knight, but she was more ashamed of the new lie that'd take the place of the old.

"Kallen has been training under special military forces to become a Knight of Round. She hasn't earned that title just yet, but she's earned something better; my Knight." Lelouch said as everyone either made noises of surprise or disbelief.

"Kallen, you're a Knight?!" Shirley asked loudly.

"Yes, I've been skipping classes to pilot Knightmare Frames. I've been in a lot of battles lately and I've been trained for _**special combat situations**_." She hinted at.

"What kind of situations?" Milly asked intrigued.

"Knight of the Emperor." Lelouch said poshly. "Tonight at the acceptance ball Kallen will be formally knighted. Normally there's a section for the Knight's friends and family to be seated at and I'd like you all to be in that section for Kallen's sake."

"We'd love to be there for her!" Milly cheered ecstatically.

"Kallen, are your parents coming?" Shirley asked brightly.

"I….don't know yet. I know my father will be there, but I'll have to ask my…." Kallen paused, she didn't want to mention her biological mother or step-mother.

"Invite both your mothers; I'm sure they'll be delighted to know that their daughter and step-daughter is a Knight!" Milly encouraged her. Kallen looked surprised for a brief moment, but she returned the smile to the blonde.

"Thank you, I'll do that." Kallen felt more at ease.

"Alright then." Lelouch raised his hand to cease their chattering. "Back to business. Milly I need you to take Nunnally to the fitting tailors and have them make her a new ballroom gown." Lelouch ordered. Milly did a silly salute as her way of saying 'of course'. "Kallen you'll be fitted with a better outfit. Everyone else will go separately to the tailors for attire. Right now I need to go help assemble the new nobles and royal family. I'll see you all at the ball tonight."

"Alright!" Milly cheered as she stood up then pranced over to Nunnally. "Let's go get you a new dress, hun!" the blonde smiled, but Nunnally couldn't see it.

As Lelouch and Kallen went their separate ways, C.C. joined the others to the fitting rooms. Shirley and Lucina whispered to themselves.

"Wasn't she the one who got shot?" Lucina whispered to Shirley who gave her a surprised look.

"I guess so, but Lelouch said she was alright…. So maybe the bullets were fake?" Shirley said as she glanced at C.C.

"Fake?" Lucina tilted her head.

"Yeah, I heard for riot control they sometimes use rubber bullets or a tranquilizer." Shirley pointed out and Lucina agreed.

"So she's a friend of Lelouch? I wonder why I've never seen her before." Lucina pondered.

"I've seen her once, but I don't think they've known each other for very long. I heard from Nunna-Chan that they met outside of school." Shirley answered with a finger under her chin. For a brief moment Shirley wondered in jealousy if Lelouch had a romantic connection with the woman, but shook the thought away.

"If you'll each step individually onto a platform we'll get you ladies and gents fitted with our finest attire!" said a maid as she waved her hands in the direction of the fitting room.

As everyone was getting fitted, Kallen was getting fitted for a Knight's uniform and Lelouch made his way to a board room.

"Ah, Emperor! I'm so happy to see you, your highness!" said an elderly man in a dark blue suit.

"You as well, Mr. Stadtfeld." Lelouch chuckled lightly at the thought of what he was about to do.

"S-so….your majesty….about my daughter." The redheaded man stuttered then took a deep breath.

"It's done, don't worry. You'll have your status restored and even a promotion in store. I just need one thing from you." Lelouch's expression went from relaxed to sincere.

"Yes, a-anything…" the man looked at his Emperor pleadingly.

"Your first concubine, Ruri Kozuki." Lelouch said rather deadly. Stadtfeld slowly lifted his head to look up into Lelouch's daring eyes.

"H-how….did you know about her?" he asked frightfully. A million fears pranced into his mind and toyed with his sanity; would this new Emperor punish Kallen if he found out that his beloved daughter was a half-breed?

"Kallen herself told me about her. There's no reason to worry." Lelouch noticed the tormented look in the older man's eyes and tried to quell him. "I simply wish to offer her a better position in life."

Stadtfeld's shoulders slumped as he let out the exhausted breath he'd been absent mindedly holding in. "Oh thank you for your mercy my Emperor…." He man swept the small beads of sweat from his brow. "Might I just ask though….." he started.

"Hm?" was all the noise Lelouch made.

"What position are you going to offer her?" The man asked with his hopes raised slightly.

"Invite her to the ball tonight and you shall see for yourself."

This left Mr. Stadtfeld very confused yet still interested.

_**XxXxX**_

"Alright everybody!" Milly shouted enthusiastically. "Line up with your backs along this wall! We're going to practice the English Country Dance!"

"The what?" Rival frowned as he placed his hands on the hips of his new outfit.

"The English country dance was from hundreds of years ago, it's a romantic and interactive dance that we're all going to surprise Lelouch with tonight!" Milly chirped.

"How would that surprise him?" Shirley huffed. "It's so old he probably won't even know what it is!" Shirley grimaced.

"No it's not." Nunnally said softly as she rolled up in her wheelchair. Since she couldn't walk she wasn't going to participate in the dance. "Back before our mother died this was a very popular dance for royal balls. I danced this dance with big brother all the time. I'm sure he still remembers how to do it!" she smiled.

"Really? He knows such an old dance? Well it can't be all **that **bad if Lelou knows it…" Shirley gave in.

"No kidding!" Gino snickered. "I remember doing this dance like six times a night per ball back in the mainland. Man, we'd dance until our legs hurt!"

"Well if Lelouch knows it, let's do it!" Rival gave Milly a cheesy grin and a big thumbs up.

"Rival you'll dance with Shirley, Gino you'll be with me, Lucina and C.C., Anya….uhm…." Milly started, but she couldn't think of a decent partner for Anya.

"Prez! Why can't I dance with you?" Rival whined.

"Because you're shorter than me, silly! Your partner has to be of similar height, or else the whole perfection of the dance is thrown off!" Milly explained as she stood next to Gino and pressed the side of her blonde hair against his. He was a mere inch or so taller than her, as where Rival was easily two or three inches shorter than Milly.

"That's no true! I see tall men dance with short women all the time!" he pouted.

"That's okay for the guy to be taller, but the leader has to be taller than the woman."

"Then why don't **you **lead me? I'll submit to you my lady!" Rival made a dramatic pose and Milly snorted amusedly at him.

"Sorry, but I'm not that great at leading."

After the bickering and complaining over dance partners, they practiced for a good hour until they were all sent to the ballroom where they'd await Kallen and Lelouch. Everyone picked a seat in the restricted section alongside their parents and close family members.

The lights dimmed, the attendees hushed and the room became eerie with suspense. Lelouch in his usual white Emperor outfit strode out to the center of the stage. He was handed a microphone from one of the event schedulers who then pranced out of sight.

"Thank you all for throwing me such a wonderful ball. I'm honored." Lelouch spoke with false appraisal. His tone changed however for his next announcement. "Before we start with any dancing of socializing, I'd like to call Kallen Stadtfeld-Kozuki to my side."

A small outburst of chattering among the royals began to well up at the mentioning of Kallen having a Japanese last name. Kallen stiffly stood up from her seat, straightened out her red and black Knight's uniform and walked carefully towards Lelouch. She ignored the whispers and awkward glares and stood before Lelouch with a burning pride. She knew Lelouch wouldn't tolerate any racial hatred, and she knew she didn't deserve any. She had no reason to doubt her presence as a Knight standing in the wake of Emperor Lelouch.

"Get on your knee." He commanded. Kallen wordlessly complied and bowed to Lelouch regally.

"Kallen Stadtfeld-Kozuki, I dub thee Knight of Britannia and of its Emperor."

Cornelia half-way stood up from her seat in sheer surprise, but did not voice an objection. She resituated herself and gave the moment consideration. Kallen was a half-breed, therefore she was weak willed, poorly bred and incapable of protecting Lelouch. Allowing Lelouch to Knight Elevens would leave him defenseless and she would have the upper hand. She smirked and allowed the charade to continue.

After many people who opposed stopped grimacing and whispering, Milly and the others stood up and began clapping obnoxiously. After Princess Euphemia and Suzaku joined in so did Cornelia and Schneizel. Within mere moments the entire ballroom was making enough noise to wake all of China for their morning call. Kallen was dismissed back to her seat next to her mother who embraced her eagerly. This was an unusual moment for Kallen; a mother's hug.

Lelouch dismissed the formal portion of the ball and allowed everyone to begin waltzing and socializing. Lelouch immediately asked Kallen for a short dance. Even though she was in a Knight's uniform she was still elegant enough to fit the part of the 'dame'. Kallen had been raised as a noble, but she was still not all that familiar with fancy events, especially waltzes. After their dance Milly pulled Kallen to the side and whispered something to her.

"Kallen, have you ever heard of the English Country Dance?" Milly grinned most wickedly. Kallen instantly became nervous and leery.

"Yes, why?" Kallen frowned.

"We've been practicing it for Lelouch, and we'd love it if you joined us!" the blonde's smile transformed into a much happier one than before.

"Oh good lord Milly! That dance is so out-dated and…and….it's just…" Kallen stuttered flustered.

"Nunna-Chan just told us that the royals do it all the time! We should put on a show for Lelouch!" Milly chirped and Kallen sighed.

"Only for Lelouch…" Kallen gave in with a low tone.

"Brilliant!" Milly giggled. "Oh Rival, Shirley, everyone!" Milly waved over at their friends. "It's _tiiiiiiime!_" she sang out excitedly. Rival gave a thumbs up and headed over to her while Lucina and Shirley went over to fetch Lelouch.

As the two girls encircled him and gave them their best cutesy faces he immediately knew that they had a scheme hatched. He narrowed his eyes at them in suspicion as they latched onto his arms. Lucina wrapped her arms around Lelouch's right arm and Shirley to his left. They began pulled him in the direction of Milly and Rival, but he was hesitant.

"Wh-what're you two up to? What's going on?" he asked perplexed. Cornelia from afar watched closely as Lelouch allowed commoners to handle him so informally. Nunnally rolled up in front of Lelouch and smiled gently.

"Big brother, I believe Milly's surprise to you is about to begin .Why don't you join them? They were practicing for hours just for you!" she squeaked out and clasped her hands together.

"P-practicing?" Lelouch's eyes widened slightly, but he remained composed overall.

"Yes Lelou, we've all been practicing just for you!" Lucina said sweetly as she snuggled Lelouch's arm. Shirley grit her teeth, but not at the snuggling. That wench just used his nickname!

"Is that so? Well I don't' suppose I can refuse a gift, now can I?" he said as he saw Milly and Kallen pressing their hands together and turning in circles. He vaguely recognized this act; it was a dance. He shrugged off the suspicious feeling and allowed himself to be dragged over to his friends where they all lined up. Lelouch and Kallen faced each other while Milly and Gino did as well.

The girl's line went Kallen, Milly, Shirley, Lucina, Nina, Anya and Euphemia. The boy's line was Lelouch, Gino, Rivalz, Luciano, a young boy of the courts who Anya asked to dance and then Suzaku. As their dance began Kallen's hand pressed against Lelouch's gently. She tucked her other hand behind her back and took a step closer to him. They encircled each other a couple of times before letting go and using the other hand to repeat the process. After a few turns about they switched partners for one twist and then went back to their original partners. As they continued to dance Lelouch found this moment to be perfect to speak with Kallen.

"So have you talked to your mother yet; about my meeting her?" he asked as his eyes locked with hers and the background behind her spun around.

"Yes, she seemed excited." Kallen replied rather intrigued herself. "What may I ask is the reason behind your desire to meet her?"

"Heh, you sound like a court royal already by the way you're speaking." He snickered at her gentle behavior.

"Well excuse me for growing up as a noble!" she hissed at him wildly, but not overly loudly. This was the Kallen he was used to seeing.

"No no, I understand. It's just odd considering you _night life _is so much different than how you are now." He withheld a small laugh.

"Back on topic, why do you want to meet my mother?" she asked again.

"Milly." Lelouch called over to the blonde.

"Yes?" she asked surprised that Lelouch would pick this time of all times, during a formal waltz, to ask her a question.

"Kallen and I need to discuss something in private. I'm sorry, but I'll have to cut my portion of the dance short." He said somberly and Milly nodded in understanding.

"We're **so **doing this dance again next time you have a ball!" she chirped and Lelouch agreed.

Lelouch led Kallen out of the ballroom and into a back meeting room where they sat down. He began a strange conversation of politics and world ethics before Kallen became confused and silenced him.

"Enough!" she hissed louder than she meant to. "Every time I ask you why you want to meet my mother you either change the subject or give the vaguest of answers possible. I demand an answer, a proper answer!" she sneered and Lelouch took the hint; it was time to get to the point.

"Alright fine, I'll get to the point then." He sighed and sat upright to face her properly. "During the interview-"

"No, I want the actual answer!" she frowned darkly.

"I **am **giving you the answer…." He slouched forwards in defeat.

"Sorry, continue…" she mumbled. Kallen was simply worried that Lelouch had discovered her mother's drug-related issues. He was probably being nice about her arrest simply because she's Kallen's mother.

"During the interview I mentioned restoring the area-colonies' governments and royal houses. I'd like to offer your mother a position in the Japanese government." He said entirely sincerely.

"What? R-really? You'd do that for her?" Kallen's eyes lit up, but she had yet to smile.

"Yes, and I intend to make her sub-Viceroy of Japan." He added. Kallen was torn between happiness and surprise. She wasn't sure weither to smile or look shocked.

"But why her?" she asked erratically.

"She is the epitome of Japanese suffrage; she knew both what it was like to suffer as an _**Eleven **_and hold her head high as a Japanese. She loved a Britannian man before the war, and remained by his side after it. She held no prejudice against her half-breed children. Furthermore she used refrain, meaning she also understood the pain and suffering of her own people. She was one of the few Japanese to accept the overtaking of Japan, but refuse to be an Eleven. Most people in her position would've either submitted and become a slave or rebelled and became an enemy. She simply accepted her fate and continued her life the best she could. I know she'll do a good job as sub-Viceroy and she'll appeal to both Britannia and Japan's interests." Lelouch took a deep breath as Kallen sat wide-eyed staring at him.

"How did you know….my mother did refrain?" was all she could ask.

"I told him." C.C. said from the other side of the room. Since they hadn't turned the lights on in half the room, C.C. was able to sit perfectly still in the corner without notice.

"Why would you tell him anything?!" Kallen asked slightly angry. She was glad that Lelouch was okay with her mother, but what if he hadn't been? C.C. could have just ruined her mother's life.

"Kallen, you're an interesting girl." C.C. began as she stood up and made her way towards her. "You claim you dislike your mother and would rather not deal with het. Yet you wish to protect her and ensure her happiness."

Kallen blinked, she hadn't noticed this herself. Her mother was a complicated ordeal in itself.

"And that's why we all love Kallen." Lelouch said almost sarcastically, even though he meant it. "She's both finesse and fierce. It takes a great person to dislike someone and still care about their well-being. I myself have a hard time doing just that." He said almost sadly. For a brief moment Clovis flashed through his mind, but he shook the memory clean. Kallen leaned forwards, almost ominously and stared intently into Lelouch's eyes.

_A gun pointed straight at Prince Clovis' head. The prince in his throne shook as he pleaded for his life._

"_We may not have the same father, but you and I are blood!"_

The extremely loud noise of the gunshot ended her vision. Lelouch looked at her awkwardly and questioned her actions.

"Oh I'm sorry…I…" she stuttered as she tried to decipher what she'd just seen.

"Back to business, what are your thoughts on this Kallen?" he asked pensively.

"So you're going to offer my mother sub-Viceroy of Japan? You think she'll be good at it?" Kallen allowed herself a small smile.

"Yes, and I'm going to make the announcement formal tomorrow. So make sure she's prepared. Bring her to me here after the ball so that we may discuss it further." He said as he stood up as if to leave.

"But my mother has **absolutely no **politic background training or knowledge! How will she know what bill to sign and which one will hurt the people?" Kallen asked frightfully. She feared that if her mother made a wrong decision then all of Japan would hate her; or even try to assassinate her!

"Fear not, the Viceroy that will guide her is a woman of sheer excellence in Japanese-Britannian politics." Lelouch smirked before leaving.

"Come on, I don't want to miss the **entire **dance!" C.C. winked and practically dragged Kallen back to the ballroom.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

'_What on Earth did I see? And why?!' _Kallen thought as she recalled the vision she'd seen while talking to Lelouch and C.C.. She pressed her back against the wall and looked at her feet as the entire ballroom dance about happily. Shirley and Milly both tried to encourage her to dance, but she remained persistent to remain at that wall.

'_It was as if I was seeing a movie, except it was of Prince Clovis….right? That looked like him didn't it? I'll have to pull up a picture of him on Google.' _She thought as she pulled out her cell phone and accessed the internet. Sure enough the man in her vision was Clovis.

"Why are you looking at pictures of him?" Lelouch asked from beside her.

"Uwah!" Kallen screeched as she quickly shut off the screen on her phone and hid it from his sight.

"Do you have some sort of interest in Clovis?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"N-no, not really. I just…. While we were talking earlier…I…I saw him. I thought I saw Clovis…" she said slowly as she tried to remember the vision again.

"You think you saw Clovis? Where?! In the room?" he asked immediately pensive as he placed his hands on her shoulders roughly. Was Clovis secretly still alive or something? Was he coming back to get revenge on Lelouch and expose him as the killer?

"No! No, I… I saw him in my mind. Like I was witnessing his death as if I was the-" she froze, she didn't' want to even mention possibly being Clovis' killer, that was Lelouch brother! He was probably mourning his death still!

"You **witnessed **his death?" Lelouch asked darkly as he released her shoulders.

"No, I didn't. I said I had a vision from…the _**murderer's **_point of view." Kallen said truthfully.

"A vision? Like a psychic reading?" he blinked a couple of times.

"Yes, almost like that!" she said abruptly.

'_Could it be? Did Kallen's Geass activate itself?' _Lelouch immediately thought.

"What's wrong?" Kallen questioned the impending horror look upon Lelouch's face.

'_I thought of Clovis back in the room. Maybe that's when she saw it?' _he though as he continued to stare motionlessly into Kallen's worried blue eyes.

"Lelouch?" she asked again unsurely.

'_That means Kallen's Geass is some sort of psychic ability, like mind reading. Then why can't she read my mind now? I'll try it! Kallen, if you can hear this, say so!'_

"Lelouch you're scaring me, what's wrong?" she asked she tried to slide along the wall to get a little distance between herself and Lelouch.

'_No, I don't think she can read minds. I'll have to keep watching her….'_

"Kallen, if you have any more of these 'visions' please let me know. I'd like to be informed of such things." He finally spoke.

"Oh, alright." She agreed and watched as Lelouch walked away.

'_If Kallen saw me murdering Clovis, then why didn't she accuse me? Maybe she can only see it from my point of view-that's it! She can see memories! Maybe I can use that to see who killed my mother!'_

Lelouch made a mental note to avoid Kallen for the remainder of the ball and allow her to interact with more people to see if her Geass activated again. He knew that Kallen using it on him was dangerous; she didn't know he was Zero.

Frankly, he wasn't sure how Kallen would react to learning that Lelouch is Zero. He rather feared the idea entirely

Kallen was asked to dance by every male Knight of Round, which surprised her. She was seemingly well accepted despite being a half-breed. Then again maybe they were putting on a mask for the sake of the Emperor. Kallen put upon her own phony polite mask and agreed to every man, and woman, who requested her hand in a waltz. She became quite tired after two whole hours of jumping around, greeting everyone courtly and waltzing like a coin operated doll. She ran to a secluded corner of the ballroom where no one was watching and she casually stretched her arms and back until it made an uncouth popping noise. She then realized just how loud her cracking was and looked around sheepishly. Luckily it was only loud to her and breathed a sigh of relief when no one had noticed. A very tired and _slow _Milly approached her and placed a lethargic hand on her shoulder.

Between pants the blonde spoke. "I'm….so tired….of dancing…." She huffed out with a wholesome smile. Kallen gave her a sympathetic look and silent laugh that only shook her chest and shoulders.

"Maybe they should end this soon." Kallen giggled lightly.

"_Welcome to our estate!" she danced around as she gave the young boy a warm smile. The boy before her was about a year younger than she. He had short black hair and bright purple eyes. He held onto the handles of a young girl's wheelchair. She has light brown hair and her eyes remained closed._

"_Th…..thank you….for accepting us….into your home…" the boy spoke sadly. He looked down at the girl and reached down to grasp her gentle, frail hand._

"_Big brother, don't' be sad. We have a home now!" the girl in the wheelchair smiled up at the boy._

Kallen blinked as she stared back into Milly's happy expression. It had happened again; she'd had another vision.

"Kallen, you okay?" Milly asked as she realized that the redhead has gone stoic.

"Oh I'm sorry, I was just thinking of something." Kallen said as she straightened herself out so that she wasn't slightly hunched over anymore.

"Well we'd best go find Lelouch, he's probably just as tired as we are!" Milly said suddenly cheerful again. This woman managed to find energy at the strangest of times; Kallen could never understand it.

They eventually found Lelouch enjoying the last dance of the evening with Shirley. As Kallen watched the orangette swirl around with Lelouch she could help but feel something. She wasn't sure what it was, but she sure felt it. Lucina walked up alongside Kallen so that she was sandwiching Kallen between herself and Milly.

"Awww! I wanted the last dance with Lelouch!" she pouted stubbornly.

"Oh Lucina, you'll have the next ball to steal the last dance! Besides, these two have known each other for a few years now. It's nice to see them so relaxed together finally." Milly sighed dreamily, if only her one true love would come down and swoop her into a last dance. She closed her eyes and daydream of-

"Milly!" Rivalz shouted from behind her. She snapped out of her daydream to face the boy. "It's the last dance, would you please dance with me?" he asked as he bowed and held out his hand.

Milly pursed her lips into a small frown. She was secretly fighting the urge to smile, but she oppressed it. She absentmindedly began to reach for his outstretched hand, but retracted it when she realized what she'd almost done. She glanced to her sides to see her mother and father against the far wall. She parted her red lips slightly and grit her teeth. Her eyebrows squeezed closer together and she began reaching for his hand again, but she quickly noticed that her mother looked her way and waved at her. She instantly pulled her hand back and mumbled an apology. Rival lifted his head, but remained bowed.

"Sorry, what?" he asked. "I didn't quite hear you."

"I'm sorry Rival." She apologized sweetly and clasped her hands together and rested them on front of her light blue sparkly dress. "I'm just too tired to dance anymore." She lied. Honestly she wanted one last dance, but it could be so.

Her greatest dreams are never realities.

"Milly, are you alright?" Rivalz asked incredibly worried as he stood up straight.

"Yes, why?" she replied slightly surprised, had she let on to her true intentions?

"You're crying; your mascara is running down your face." He said as his hand went to her cheek and wiped one side of her tears away. Unluckily for him he didn't understand how non-waterproof mascara worked and managed to smear it all over her cheek.

"I'm sorry, I have to go clean myself up in the bathroom." She lied and quickly ran off into the crowd and disappeared from their sights.

"What was that all about? Is Madame President alright?" Lucina asked. Kallen shrugged.

"Did I say something wrong?" Rivalz asked sadly as he too felt the urge to bawl like a child come on.

"No, you were quite a gentleman." Kallen smiled wistfully at him. "I think Milly just has some personal issues going on. I'm not sure what triggered it right then, but I heard her parents are pushing her to do something." Kallen said as she frowned again.

Shirley caught a glimpse of Milly running out of the ballroom and her and Lelouch's dance halted.

"I'm sorry Lelouch, but I think something's wrong with Milly." Shirley said worriedly. Normally she wouldn't of given someone crying at a ball a second glance if she were dancing with Lelouch, but it's rare that Milly ever felt sad, much less cried. Lelouch understood and dismissed her.

Shirley, Kallen and Lucina all huddled around the bathroom stall Milly had locked herself into.

"Does anyone know what happened?" Rivalz shouted from outside the bathroom.

"Not yet!" Shirley shouted back.

Lelouch walked up to Rival, he'd followed Shirley, and began questioning the situation. Rival explained that he didn't have a clue. Rivalz began confessing that it may have been his fault, but he wasn't entirely sure. Lelouch did his best to comfort him. Suzaku and Euphemia noticed the odd fact that Lelouch and Rival were 'guarding' the women's bathroom door and decided to investigate.

"Lelouch, Rivalz, what's going on?" Suzaku asked innocently.

"Milly's crying her eyes out and no one knows why." Rivalz whimpered sadly. Suzaku felt a pang of sympathy strike through his chest, he knew Rival adored Milly.

"I'll go see." Euphemia said as she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

"Milly darling, are you alright?" she asked sweetly. Kallen, Shirley and Lucina turned around to see the Princess in her elegant white dress standing before them. Even though they'd become considered 'close personal friends' with the pink haired Princess, they were still shy and courtly in her presence.

"I'm so sorry everyone…" Milly choked out. "I just need to be alone for a while."

"Milly Ashford, you are one of the strongest willed women I've ever met." Euphemia began. "You put my sister Cornelia to shame when it comes to your strong will. What on Earth could make you cry?" she said strongly. Euphemia meant no harm in her words, she was simply trying to remind Milly that she's an amazing person.

"I'm sorry….I'm so sorry…" Milly sobbed out again. Euphemia kneeled before the door between Shirley and Kallen who were also kneeling down as well.

"Milly, tell us what happened? Did someone call you a commoner? Because fi they did I can have Suzaku-"

"No, they didn't. It's….it's my..." Milly started, but lost her strength to confess.

"What's going on in here?" Cornelia said sternly as Nina trembled beside her.

"P-princess Euphemia, is everything...okay?" The shy girl asked.

"A friend of mine is upset is all. There's no need to get anyone else involved." Euphemia said back stiffly. She wanted Cornelia to leave, she knew she didn't understand commoner problems or anyone else's problems for that matter. Her presence might only make matters worse.

"Nonsense. If a woman's crying during a ball then she might've had a rude partner or a wardrobe malfunction." Cornelia said as she made her way to stand behind Euphemia. Lucina and Shirley backed away to give her space and retreated to Nina's side. Euphemia stood up as Cornelia knocked on the bathroom stall door.

"I'm sorry…." Milly mumbled weakly from the other side of the door.

"Young woman, I demand to know what causes you such sorrow." Cornelia said softer than usual.

"I….I just can't do it…." Milly said between sobs.

"Milly honey…" Euphemia said gently. "Please tell us and we'll help you."

"I can't tell anyone….they'll be so disappointed!" Milly shrieked.

"Euphemia, have everyone else leave. I wish to talk to this woman alone." Cornelia commanded. Reluctantly Euphemia and the other girls left Cornelia and Milly alone in the bathroom.

"What's going on in there?" Rivalz asked wide-eyed as all the girls came walking out of the bathroom.

"No idea, but Cornelia is trying to talk to her." Euphemia explained.

Cornelia commanded Milly to open the door and come out of the stall, to which Milly had no choice but to obey per royal command.

"I don't mean to be bossy or harsh, but what ails you?" Cornelia took sympathy upon Milly's tear and make-up smeared face.

"I…I can't….do this anymore…" Milly cried as she let out a hiccup of sorrow.

"I promise I won't tell another soul if you tell me." Cornelia tried her best to smile at the girl, but found it rather hard to do. She wasn't used to talking to commoners on such a personal topic; much less ones in emotional turmoil.

"O-okay…." Milly agreed and grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and began wiping her make up smudges off. "Ever since Queen Marianne passed away, my family has been ridiculed and humiliated. My parents have been trying to…to marry me off….to rich noble men…." She took a deep breath.

"I see where this is going…" Cornelia whispered as she continued to listen to the girl's story.

"They want to use me to rebuild the Ashford name. Ever since I turned thirteen they've been sending me out on dates and pre-arranged marriage meetings. I never felt free. Finally after Lelouch became Emperor he reinstated my grandfather as his assistant and our fortunes were restored. However our name alone wasn't. My parents want me to marry into royalty or nobility. I don't want that…." Milly slumped down.

"Why not? You've got the opportunity to ensure that the rest of your life you'd live in luxury and never have to word a day in your life!" Cornelia cocked her eye brow. She failed to see the problem here.

"I know, but….I want to marry for love!" Milly cried out.

"Then fall in love with a nobleman or become Lelouch's consort. It's not that difficult." Cornelia huffed.

"But I'm…I'm already…." Milly braced herself. "…in love." Milly felt something inside her chest unclench. "When Rivalz bowed before me, that's when it hit me. I suddenly realized it."

This is where Cornelia began to understand. Having witnessed the scene in which Milly began crying before the blue-haired boy she now understood this young common woman.

"You're afraid of disappointing your parents by falling in love." Cornelia allowed the feelings of sympathy, and empathy, to envelope her. "I was once in love. His name was Roy Adreas. He was a nobleman's son that attended _every _ball back when I was sixteen. He'd ask for my hand to waltz _every_ time. Overtime I just…fell in love. I wrote him letters and he'd write back. He even visited Aries Palace once just to see….**me**. I felt so special; like I was more than a Princess."

Milly lifted her head up from looking down at the sink to stare at the wistful Princess staring dreamily at the wall adjacent to her.

"Then his father died and his family lost their status. He was no longer a noble. I was forbidden by my mother, a Queen, to see him again. No matter how many times I begged and pleaded, I never did see that boy's face ever again. " Cornelia allowed herself to shed a single tear down the side of her cheek. Oddly enough this was a side of Cornelia that even Euphemia hadn't seen. The sheer fact that she was exposing it to Milly was down-right miraculous. Normally Cornelia didn't understand commoner problems, but Milly's was such a similar case.

"Thank you." Milly whispered.

"Milly Ashford. As a noble woman you'll encounter many suitors. If you wish to bring nobility back into the Ashfords I'd save your heart for one that will never fall out of the hands of nobility. Save yourself early on from that horrible fate. If you want to chase your heart around the battlefield then follow it. You are lucky enough to have the chance to become nobility; true royalty. Do not make a mistake when deciding between love and stability. You can only have one in this world." Cornelia smiled bitter-sweetly.

"Roy Andreas…..Roy Andreas….Why does that name sound familiar?" Milly asked herself.

"You know him?" Cornelia's eyes widened.

"I don't think so, the name just sounds familiar is all." Milly dropped her shoulders in defeat. "Thank you, Princess, for speaking with me." Milly returned the sadly sweet smile.

"I have….a request." Cornelia said almost awkwardly.

"Yes?" Milly tilted her head. What could the Princess of Britannia have to ask of her?

"If you ever remember who Roy Andreas was, would you let me know?" Cornelia said as if it were a drug-deal.

"Of course I will, but how am I supposed to contact you?" Milly asked.

"I'll give you my personal phone number, but do not hand it out to anyone." Cornelia commanded as she pulled out her phone and the two exchanged numbers.

It was odd; Cornelia took an interest in a commoner. Maybe it was because she was nobility at one time and was going to be again in the future. Nevertheless, it was still strange. Cornelia was still on her path to dethroning Lelouch, but Milly would remain a person that she had a connection with. That connection was the pain of falling in love with the wrong person. A forbidden fruit is as heart-breaking as a lost love. Cornelia exited the bathroom and informed everyone that their friend was alright. She glanced at Rivalz who had the most pathetic look upon his face. She may not understand what attracted Milly to the boy, but she understood; to some degree.

Milly emerged from the bathroom and apologized for causing a scene. Since the ball was declared over and most of the guests had left already Lelouch took this as his prime opportunity to approached Kallen's mother. He requested a private audience with her in a back meeting room and offered her a drink.

"Wow, I feel so honored having the Emperor pout me a drink!" she said softly. Ruri Kozuki wasn't a very outspoken woman, thus her thanks seemed a little weak-willed in Lelouch's opinion.

"It's no big deal. I just want to make a deal with you is all." He said as he sat down next to her on the large plush couch.

"Oh my, I can't imagine what I could possibly offer you." Ruri felt very nervous. Aside from being alone in a personal conversation with the Emperor of Britannia, she was also alone with a handsome young man.

"Lelouch!" Kallen burst into the room. She'd seen Lelouch lead her mother into a secluded room and had panicked. She knew he was going to do it eventually, but she wished she'd of had some warning. "I demand to be in the room while you talk to her!" Kallen said stiffly.

"Alright, fine by me." Lelouch didn't bat an eye at her request. "As long as you don't mind another guest that is." Lelouch said slyly as he stood up and walked across the room. He stopped before a door and opened it. "Alright, you may come in now." He said to whoever was inside the other room.

A young woman dressed in a kimono walked into the room. For a moment Kallen thought she looked oddly familiar, like she was a Japanese idol or something.

"Lelouch, who is this?" Kallen asked.

"She's Ka-"

"Hiya! I'm Kaguya Sumeragi!" she interrupted and brightly greeted Kallen.

"Hi…ya…" Kallen repeated back to the younger girl. She could have been older than fourteen or fifteen. "Who exactly is she?"

"She's the young head mistress of the Kyoto House." Lelouch replied shortly.

"She's **what**!?" Kallen screeched. She was technically one of the Black Knight's allied forces. What on Earth Lelouch was doing with her was beyond Kallen's imagination.

"Kaguya, why don't you go sit next to Ms. Kozuki." Lelouch said and Kaguya grinned.

"Alright Lelou-Chan! But you have to sit next to me too!" she said sweetly and pranced over to Ruri's side.

"L-Lelou…Chan?" Kallen asked as she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Yes, while I was a child in Japan Suzaku, Kaguya and I all played together as children." Lelouch explained. Kallen vaguely remembered him mentioning such an occurrence during the new broadcast interview the night before.

"So **that's** why she's here. She's a personal friend of yours?" Kallen asked.

"Well yes, but that's not why she's here." Lelouch took in a deep breath and exhaled it to regain his composure. All that dancing with Shirley and the other girls made him more tired than previously thought. Kallen sat down on the other side of her mother and Lelouch sat on the other side of Kaguya.

"So what do we owe this lovely pleasure to?" Ruri asked naïvely.

"I have a proposition for both you and Kaguya Sumeragi." He began as Kaguya snuggled up to him.

"Go on…" Kallen became a bit annoyed by Kaguya antics.

"As I'm sure you all heard what I said during the interview about restoring Japan's government and royal house." He said and everyone nodded. "I'll get right to the point then. Sumeragi, I'd like to appoint you as Viceroy of Japan."

Kaguya's eyes lit up in both surprise and delight.

"Ruri Kozuki, I'd like you to be her sub-Viceroy for Japan." He said coolly.

Ruri dropped her glass to the floor. Luckily the floor was carpeted and it didn't shatter; it would likely stain however.

"Y-you must be mistaken… I don't know anything about politics!" Ruri's facial expression was un decipherable to Lelouch. He couldn't tell if the woman was happy or frightened.

"It's alright, Kaguya here doesn't have much experience either. Even though she was raised around it her entire life she still doesn't know the ins and outs of being a Viceroy." He told her.

"Then why pick her?" Kallen asked completely baffled.

"I'm not interested in someone with no heart who simply read text books on politics. I wanted people who would be willing to do their best to improve Japan. I know Kaguya personally enough to know that she'd make an excellent Viceroy in a matter of time. Ruri Kozuki from what I've heard from….._my sources _that you'd also be willing to help Japan in the civilian department. Kaguya doesn't have the experiences with commoners that you do. I believe that together you two will have a balanced composition of agreements and disagreements. Should you both accept this offer then Japan and a whole will flourish and become a better place for the Japanese to live again." Lelouch explained to the gawking women.

"You really think…that I…a lowly Eleven maid…can govern Japan?" Ruri looked hopeful, but also doubtful.

"Don't call yourself that. That's not what you are. The sub-Viceroy for Japan of Britannia doesn't refer to herself as an '**Eleven maid'**." He said with great power.

"I accept!" Kaguya chirped as she raised her hand. "I can't wait to tell Master Zero about this!"

Kallen and Lelouch nearly had heart failure, Ruri simply did not comprehend the true meaning of Kaguya's words.

"Y-yeah...you do that…" Lelouch muttered, the damage was already done.

"Lelouch, are you sure you're alright with this? Kaguya works for the Black Knights…." Kallen frowned.

"Hey, how did you know that?!" Kaguya spun her head around to frown at Kallen. Even though Kallen was the Black Knight's ace pilot, she and Kaguya had yet to meet.

'_So that's why her name is familiar!'_ Kallen thought.

"Everyone stop; forget Zero and the Black Knights for now. What's important is Ruri accepting her position as sub-Viceroy." Lelouch tried to get the conversation back on track.

"I can't be caught working with a criminal! I don't want to get arrested!" Ruri sunk down to the floor in fear.

"Ms. Kozuki, Kaguya Sumeragi is **not **a criminal. I don't consider being a Black Knight a criminal offense." Lelouch explained as he tried to coax her back into her seat.

"So if I accept this job…it'll all be okay then?" Ruri asked as she shook slightly when she sat back into her seat.

"Yes, I firmly believe that you and Kaguya working together will ensure Japan's happiness." He assured her.

"Alright, I'll try my best. But what if I fail?" she looked horrified.

"It's okay, Kaguya will guide you if you make any mistakes. She may not know all the rules, but she has some experience in government affairs. I assure you that you'll both be okay." Lelouch's words gave her a comforting feeling and she gave the moment consideration. If she became sub-Viceroy that meant becoming nobility. Becoming nobility meant an even better life for Kallen.

"I accept your offer your highness." Ruri said suddenly very serious.

"I'm glad." Lelouch grinned. "Soon there will be a formal announcement. I'd like you to be here at the Tokyo Palace when that time comes."

"Yes, I'll be here."

"In the meantime, why don't you and Kaguya get to know each other and begin planning and organizing your ideas for Japan together." Lelouch said light-heartedly as he stood up. "Kaguya, I want you to take over the construction of Shinjuku for tomorrow. It'll be your first assignment."

"Right!" she saluted Lelouch childishly.

"Ruri, I'd like you to give Kaguya your personal-experienced opinions on what the common Japanese person needs within the construction; what types of buildings, how many houses and such."

"Yes." She replied.

"You two are dismissed for now. Kallen I want you to come back with me to check up on Milly again." He said and Kallen agreed.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

Once back in their personal quarters, everyone changed out of their gowns and into their pajamas. Euphemia dropped by to check in on Milly around the same time Lelouch and Kallen arrived.

"Thank you all so much for supporting me. I can be such a fool sometimes." Milly smiled gingerly at all of her loving friends.

"It's alright Madame Prez!" Shirley said brightly. "We're all entitled to our moments!"

"Glad to see you're okay after all." Suzaku said as he cradled Arthur in his arms. Today was a good day; Arthur didn't bite him a single time.

"Well I must be going." Euphemia said as she yawned. "I'm so tired!"

"Yeah we're all pretty much done for the night." Lucina added groggily.

They all retreated to their separate personal quarters. Lelouch had instructed Kallen to change out of her evening attire and to report to Lelouch's bed chambers. Kallen slipped into comfortable street clothing, although not quite pajamas, and made her way to Lelouch personal bedroom. She walked passed the guards, who easily recognized her and allowed her through, and knocked on the double door. Lelouch ordered her permission into his room and the guards opened the door. Kallen stepped inside to get a full view of Lelouch's extravagant bedroom; it was far nicer than hers.

"Sorry about calling you up here so late. I know you must be tired." Lelouch apologized as he shifted in his seat on the sofa.

"Not anymore really, I've had enough time to recover from all the waltzing." She said as she sat down next to him. Lelouch himself was incredibly tired, and the bored expression on his face showed it plain and clearly. This is the look he had on his face mostly throughout the school days.

"I'm so tired…" Lelouch moaned as he slouched backwards into his seat.

"So what did you call me up here for anyways?" she asked.

"Oh, right. Kaguya mentioned being allied with the Black Knights." He began.

"She even called Zero 'Master'!" Kallen added.

"Yes, she did…. Now Kaguya knows that I'm alright with the Black Knights. I don't consider them 'terrorists'. Technically in the eyes of Japan, Britannia is the 'terrorist' here." Lelouch sighed. Kallen half-agreed. To a degree Britannia **was **Japan's version of a terrorist. Now it became the other way around it seems.

"I'm glad that you support the Japanese and all, but why would you support the Black Knights? I mean Zero killed Clovis, and he attacked the royal family on many occasions."

"Yes, but you're the ace pilot who's taken many Britannian lives as well." Lelouch added. This comment normally would have been spoken darkly with a hint of anger, but the way the words carelessly rolled out of Lelouch's mouth surprised Kallen. She then remembered the vision she saw of Clovis, and then the vision of Lelouch and Nunnally as children.

"Are you resentful?" Kallen asked somberly.

"No." Lelouch said immediately.

"Good, because I have something I wanted to discuss with you as well." She started and Lelouch listened well. "I had another 'vision'. But before I tell you about this vision, I wanna know if this is my Geass power or not."

"It's the only plausible answer." He replied.

"What power do you have?" she asked.

"I'm afraid telling you that would jeopardize our entire relationship…." Lelouch grimaced slightly. She'd probably accuse him of having mind controlled her into obeying him.

"Wh-what?" Kallen blushed, misunderstanding the meaning of Lelouch's words. "What do you mean _relationship_!?" Kallen asked quickly.

"N-no! That's not what I meant!" Lelouch stuck his hands out in defense. "What I meant was if I tell you then you might believe that I've used it on you before."

"Well have you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, the blush never leaving her face.

To lie or not to lie….

"Well….yes…. but I swear it was minor!" he said nervously.

"I demand to know what your Geass ability is and what you did to me!" she huffed madly.

"Alright, alright! But you have to believe me!" he pleaded.

"I'll see about that." She crossed her arms and eyed him, awaiting his answer.

"My ability is mind control, and I promise I only made you answer a single question."

"What question was that?" she squinted at him dangerously.

"I asked you if you were a terrorist. It's how I found out you were a Black Knight." He said stoically. Kallen's entire suspicious expressed faded into slight surprise.

"So you really have known all this time…. Wait a minute! Did you use it on Zero? Is this why he's being so cooperative with you?!" Kallen stood up and approached him aggressively.

"No! He wears that mask thing, I can't Geass him even if I wanted to!" Lelouch backed away from her fearfully. He knew full well that Kallen would hand his own ass to him in seconds. He'd be bruised from ankle to ear if she felt like she needed to hurt him.

"Really? So tell me, does Zero have a Geass as well?" she asked slightly calmer, but still aggressive.

"Yes!" Lelouch replied quickly to avoid any stalling that would make Kallen angrier.

"What is it?"

"Same as mine…" Lelouch made a hand motion that mean to calm her down and she complied. She sat back into her seat.

"Has Zero Geassed me?" she asked almost sadly. Was her loyalty a fraud?

"Yes, but he claims his command was also for questioning." Lelouch admitted.

"Alright, I'll tell you about my vision." She sighed in defeat. "It was from Milly mere moment before she began crying. It was a memory of her when you all were younger. She was welcoming you into her home and you were about ten years old pushing little Nunnally with a wheel chair. I've never seen you so small before. In her vision you were just a child, yet you seemed so frightened and alone." Kallen explained.

"Alright, that's not a significant bit of information, but it proves that your Geass **is **working. After you couldn't figure out how to use it at first I began fearing that it was a dud." Lelouch sighed in relief.

"A dud?" Kallen asked.

"Yes, C.C. once told me that some people who obtain Geass don't actually receive a true power, either that or it doesn't activate until their death or other serious events. Everytime I look at someone, especially my friends, I can't help but wonder what power they'd receive if they had Geass. You were always the one I wondered about the most." He chuckled softly.

"So how do I use this power correctly? Is there a way I can activate it whenever I want to?" she asked.

"Maybe. Mine came to me naturally. It doesn't take much thought to use it. Oh, by the way, there are some things about Geass you need to know." He said as he straightened up in his seat. "Some Geassed has limitation or rules they abide by. Mine is that I have to make direct eye contact and it can only be used once per person. Zero's is the same."

"May I interrupt for a moment to ask you something serious?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Sure." He said flatly.

"You speak of Zero so…friendly, as if you two are buds or something. Do you know who he is under that disguise?"

"Oh this question was bound to happen eventually. Yes and no. I'm not his 'friend' really. To say I've ever met him 'face-to-face' is a lie. I do however know his real name and what he looks like." Lelouch smirked.

"Wait, let me guess….it's…Clovis!" she said half-jokingly.

"No, Clovis is dead…remember…" Lelouch had never been so disappointed in Kallen's judgment before.

"I know that, I have the vision of…of… Say, that vision I picked up was from you! You're…"

"Yes, I'm the one who killed Clovis." He said with utmost sincerity. Kallen's heart raced for a moment, but she calmed herself. It was only just now occurring to her that Lelouch wasn't some Emperor in hiding for years. He was an evil mastermind bending the world around his fingers.

"You killed your own brother?" she asked almost appalled. She didn't' care about Clovis at all, in fact she was glad he was dead. "But I thought Zero said **he **killed him!"

"I allowed Zero to take credit for that. After all, if word got out I'd killed Clovis it'd unmask my hiding spot." He explained.

"I see. What else haven't you or Zero told me?" she asked inquisitional.

"Not much else other than that…" he said flatly.

"Just tell me this, how the hell did you meet C.C. and Zero anyways?"

"I can't exactly tell you how I met Zero. C.C. is a whole other story, she was what started the entire Shinjuku tear-down. She was some sort of lab experiment that they called 'poisonous gas' as a disguise to cover up the discovery of Geass. When I found it she gave me the contract." He said.

"So tell me what your real story is. Why are you doing all of this? I know you told us that your mother was assassinated and your father didn't do anything about it, but that doesn't explain why you helped Zero, the Black Knights and Japan."

"In part, Japan's overtaking was sort of my fault. Yes he wanted the sakuradite inside Japan, but he was also trying to kill me and Nunnally. Either that or capture us and use us as puppets."

"Then why did he make you Emperor in his will?"

"Good question…. I never did figure that out myself. So far the only thing I can assume is to torture me one last time by exposing my hiding place. Another reason I'm doing this…is rather selfish…." He paused to look down at the ground. "I'm mostly helping Japan because I want to build a gentler world for Nunnally and everyone else I care about to live in happily. I saw the way the Britannians treated the Japanese, that wasn't a world I envisioned for Nunnally. The world that my sister wished for was a gentle and happy place, where no one was left behind and no one was forgotten. I just-"

Lelouch was cut off by the sudden pressure of Kallen's body gentle embracing him. Lelouch had been sitting with his legs apart, his elbows resting on his thighs with his head down. Kallen was now sitting beside him practically laying her upper body on his back with her head on his shoulder and her arms around him.

"I never knew you to be such a kind person. In school you're always so stoic and uncaring. As an Emperor you're polite, strong and godly. Now you're this soft and generous person that I've never seen before." She said softly.

'_And as Zero I'm insane…' _Lelouch thought ironically.

Lelouch enjoyed the feeling of Kallen's warmth enveloping him. He wasn't quite so used to a woman's touch, but he had guessed before that it was 'comfortable'. He was right, Kallen was very cozy. On the battlefield she seemed so sharp and unappealing to cuddle up against, but when she was like this….. Lelouch made a noise of content which alerted Kallen back to her senses. She lifted herself up off of him and blushed.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get too close." She stammered as her face turned ever so redder. Lelouch let out a breathy laugh.

"Right, so you wanted help controlling your Geass." He redirected the conversation.

"Yes. Is it possible?" she asked as she calmed herself.

"I'm not sure. C.C. once told me that she had given Geass to another who couldn't control it at all. She also said she's witnessed others gain control over time; or lose control entirely." He pondered mainly to himself.

"Have you lost control yet?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"No, but I don't deny fearing that it may eventually happen." He frowned lightly.

"So how should I use my Geass? Can I just focus on someone and….and.." she paused, she didn't know the next step.

"Here, I'll focus on a specific memory. Just focus on me until you see something." He instructed and shifted so that they were facing each other directly. Kallen agreed and stared directly into Lelouch's burning violet eyes.

'_Okay, think of a memory Lelouch. One that doesn't involve Zero or the Black Knights….' _Lelouch thought to himself as he returned Kallen glare. 'Alright, got it!' Lelouch began thinking of his childhood at the Aries Palace with Nunnally and his Mother.

Kallen focused all of her thoughts on Lelouch. As hard as she tried, not once did she pick up on anything. Lelouch however did notice the Geass symbol flash once in her left eye. However it did not stay put long enough to serve Kallen any purpose. She unintentionally inched her face closer to Lelouch's very slowly. At first Lelouch didn't notice just how close she was actually getting until he could feel her deep breaths scrape across his upper arms and open chest. When the Geass symbol flashed again he decided to remain put and continued to think of his childhood. The symbol vanished again and Kallen tried harder. She accidentally tapped her nose against him and immediately back up all the way. Her face flushed red slightly and she averted her gaze.

"Did you see anything?" he asked at her sudden actions.

"No, I just got too close is all." She said shyly as she straightened herself out. "Okay, I'm gonna try again." She said determinedly. Lelouch nodded and began to think of Nunnally and his mother once more.

_The wall before him was solid white, with the exception of the golden trim. To his right stood Suzaku in a white and gold Knight's uniform; to his left stood Kallen, herself, in a red and gold outfit. She wore a hat similar to Lelouch's Emperor hat and he outfit's design came dangerously close to his as well. Through the vision Kallen could see that she was looking through Lelouch's mind at herself. _

"_Kallen Stadtfeld-Kozuki, you stand here accepting-"_

Then it ended. Her vision cut short before she could finish seeing it all. She back away slowly from Lelouch's face, clearly confused.

"The woman in blue was my mother." Lelouch smiled softly at her.

"Who?" Kallen asked, she did not recall seeing a woman in blue.

"The woman in the blue dress with the fancy, flowered hat. She's my mother." He repeated.

"I didn't see her. All I saw was you, Suzaku and myself." She said slowly, almost dumbly.

"Suzaku and…what? I never met you as a child." He pondered.

"We weren't children. I don't think I remember it ever happening either. Are you sure I didn't pick up a memory of a dream you had or something?" Kallen asked raising her eyebrows at him. "Or maybe….some _**sick fantasy **_you cooked up while day dreaming." She crossed her arms.

"N-no! I swear! What exactly did you see anyways?!" he defended himself embarrassed; maybe he's had a weird wet-dream….but with Suzaku? He was going to commit suicide if he'd had a threesome dream about Kallen and Suzaku….

"You, Suzaku and I were all dressed all fancy and were standing in a line. Like we were at some incredibly fancy ceremony." She said.

"That doesn't sound familiar at all." He said with great confusion.

"It was almost like the Knighting ceremony, only much more fancy than formal."

"Like a funeral?" his eyes narrowed.

"No, it seemed too happy. More like…." She didn't even want to venture into **that **direction.

"Well let's try again." He offered. "Last time I was focusing on my childhood, but apparently my current thoughts may not affect what memory you pick up.

'_Shit! This is bad!' _Lelouch thought angrily in his mind. _'If her Geass isn't dictated by current thought, then she could pick up that I'm Zero at any moment! She could find out at the worst of times! Or see a memory out of context and take it the wrong way. I need to get her to control it soon so that it doesn't have to come to that!'_

"Alright." Kallen sighed out as she leaned forwards and stared into Lelouch's eyes again.

"_Nunnally, wait up!"_

This vision was a mere few seconds long, but at least it didn't take her very long to acquire it.

"I just say you chasing Nunnally as a child!" she smiled; Nunnally was so adorable back then.

"Really? Do it again."

She again tried to focus on Lelouch, but this time she became a tad distracted by her own thoughts.

'_Man, what if I really do get a perverted memory? Do I really wanna see that kind of thing? No! Focus!' _she thought as her face turned slightly red. Lelouch caught onto her slightest blush and withheld a smirk. He didn't know what she was thinking, but it was beginning to amuse him. She tried for another five or so minutes, but not a single other vision came to her.

They decided to take a break in which they got dressed again and snuck out of the palace together and avoided the paparazzi. Since neither were nearly as tired as they were during the ball they had a tid-bit of excess energy to burn before bed. They walked side by side down the side walk in half-assed disguises. Kallen had her hair in two short pony tail in the back with a burette on and street clothes. Lelouch had a really long baggy jacket with slightly torn jeans and a ball cap on. He wanted to wear sunglasses to further the disguise, but it was night out and he deemed it would look suspicious. They walked casually into a twenty-four hour coffee shop and ordered their drinks and snacks. As they sat facing each other at the two-seater table Kallen gave her Geass another try. Still, she did not receive any sort of vision. Her shoulders slumped as she closed her eyes and sighed in defeat. Lelouch immediately picked up on her failure-like pose and frowned.

"What's the matter?" he asked gently. He was starting to feel how tired he was, he didn't have the energy for an emotional show.

"C.C. told me that my Geass would help you and Zer-" she paused and glanced around to ensure that no one was within hearing distance. "You and Zero." She whispered.

"It's alright, we weren't sure which power you'd receive anyways. As where _any _Geass would be useful, not all would be able to help immensely." Lelouch explained as he tried to console her. He knew Kallen was one-hundred and ten percent all for helping Zero and realized that failing at Geass must hurt her pride.

"I don't see how 'seeing memories' is helpful. I mean I'm not even sure if some of the things I see are memories. Maybe they're just….hallucinations." Kallen mumbled lowly. Lelouch made a small sound of disapproval.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Zero was proud of what you did. Not many people grasp the concept of immortality and Geass as quickly as you did." Lelouch nudged her vocally.

"Really?" her head lifted up a little.

"Here, I'll let you know a secret about Zero, but you can't tell him I told you. Okay?" he smirked.

"Yes!" she grinned mischievously.

"He panicked and freaked out when he first got his Geass. He was so frightened at first, he didn't know what to do. Even though he acted tough and immediately began using it like a King, inside he was still afraid of it all. I dare say that he to this day still fears it slightly." Lelouch said almost monochrome.

"Really? Zero was….scared of something?" Kallen blinked. She found it rather hard to believe that her god-king Zero was capable of feeling fear. She had to remind herself that Zero is still a human like everyone else.

"Well, maybe I'm amping it up too much, but yes; he was scared at first." Lelouch admitted. Maybe he'd always wanted to just say it to get it out of his system; sometimes he scared himself with his Geass. Every time he'd give the kill-suicide command he'd feel a chill run through him, like his body knew what he'd just done to someone. It made him feel **too human** for his liking.

"Just how well do you know Zero personally? I know you said you've never **really **met him, but do you often talk to one another for reasons other than business?" Kallen asked quietly.

"That's….." Lelouch began, but couldn't bring himself to outright lie to Kallen. "I'll tell you about it someday. Just now isn't the time, especially since we're not alone. We **are **in a coffee shop after all."

"But, we're in a secluded corner and the only other customer is across the shop." Kallen pouted.

For a moment Kallen's unintentionally cute pout made Lelouch soften even further and tell her the truth, but he knew full well the consequences of such a thing. It would tear down the entire world. Kallen could easily betray him, tell Cornelia and the entire world then his reign as Emperor would be over.

'_Wait! She's loyal to __**Zero**__! If she knows I'm Zero then she won't object to anything I do! But what if it goes the other way; she could undo me entirely. Shit, this is bad. Not only are her questions and serious danger to me, but her Geass alone is terrifying. She has the one thing I fear; a Geass that I can't control. I've already used my Geass on her once, it won't work again. Not only is she my greatest weapon, she's my greatest threat. I have to test her loyalty somehow. But how…' _Lelouch thought as he clenched his teeth tightly.

"Lelouch…" Kallen looked worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, sorry. The Zero questions are getting to me is all. I'll have to think about what I can and cannot tell you later. Right now let's head back to the palace before we're seen by anyone."

Lelouch stood up and grabbed his coffee container. Kallen followed suit and walked beside him out of the coffee shop. Lelouch stopped abruptly on the sidewalk causing Kallen to walk passed him a couple of feet. She stopped as well and turned around to face him.

"What's…the matter?" Kallen asked perplexed. Lelouch's eyes were glued to the sidewalk before him.

"**That**." Lelouch pointed to the ground. Kallen turned her sights to the blue and red flashing arrow on the ground. It was like they were in a movie with crappy special effects.

"What the…?" Kallen said only half aware she was even speaking. Lelouch took a step closer to it and stepped on it. The flashing arrow then moved further away from Lelouch. Kallen did the same and stepped on it as well. It moved forwards several feet.

"What…is going on?" Lelouch muttered mostly to himself.

"Is it coming from up there?" Kallen asked as she looked up to the sky, but saw nothing that could be projecting it. She held her hand above it to see if it would cast a shadow, but it didn't. Lelouch stepped back onto it and it once again moved away from him.

"Kallen." He said suddenly very seriously. She snapped her head in his direction awaiting his next line. "Let's follow it." He said in a dead-serious manner. Kallen thought it was a little childish to follow an arrow, but it was oddly placed…the fact that it moved in accordance with their movements made it all the more suspicious.

"O-okay…" Kallen said unsurely and walked with Lelouch as they followed the flashing arrow.

As they reached the end of the sidewalk the arrow rounded the corner. They too made the turn and continued to follow it all the way to the next street over. After several minutes of following the arrow it final vanished. They looked at each other and then all around, but it was nowhere to be seen. Lelouch looked upwards a little to see the sign of their location. Kallen tilted her head curiously at the sign. It read '**Shinjuku Cemetery**'. Kallen was certain that this place had been destroyed by the Prince Clovis incident. Judging by the looks of the first few rows of tombstone the graveyard some graves had been freshly dug up or renovated.

"Did you order renovation on this graveyard?" Kallen asked.

"Yes, but it shouldn't of started yet. This part of Shinjuku shouldn't be remodeled for at least another year or two." Lelouch answered as he too scanned the graves.

"A year or two!? You told me that Shinjuku would get remodeled **this **year!" she hissed suddenly angry.

"Calm down, I can only do so much so fast. This is the least important part of Shinjuku. Not many people live or visit here. I'm more focused on getting the main streets of Shinjuku done first, that way the Japanese can start a normal life sooner." Lelouch answered almost coldly.

"Oh, I see. Well are we done here?" she sighed, that damned arrow…

"No, not until I find out what the hell that arrow was all about. What was the source? Why did it target us? Why lead us **….here**?" Lelouch scowled. As if planned, the arrow reappeared a few rows into the graveyard. Lelouch immediately ran over to it. Kallen followed him and began fearing that this was some sort of trap.

"Lelouch! I think we'd better forget about this arrow! I think it's about to rain!" she said trying to grab his attention. She wasn't technically lying though; it really was about to rain.

"No!" was his only reply as he bolted after the arrow that seemed to gain speed.

"What if it's a trap!" she called out and Lelouch skid to a stop.

"Don't worry." He said calmly as he turned his head to face her. "It's not."

Lelouch pointed to the arrow that was now pointing left.

"How do you know that?" she asked as she felt the first of many raindrops that were to come.

"It's leading us into the Saint's sector of graves. Only important people, like Suzaku's father, are buried there. This is likely someone's desperate plea for help. How they're controlling this arrow I don't know, but we'll find out soon. Come on!" he commanded as he began to chase the arrow again.

Kallen followed after Lelouch who was allowing this mysterious light-originated arrow to guide him. Lelouch knew not where his destination was, but what he did know was that he wanted to be there. It wasn't normal of him to chase things around town or to appeal to someone plea for help, but this one was too intriguing to pass up. Kallen felt the rain begin to fall into a drizzle upon her skin, she knew if they both didn't get back to the palace soon they'd be soaking wet before they made it back. Kallen made a mental note of taking a nice, long hot bath before going to bed that night. Lelouch stopped in the middle of the Saint's Sector and Kallen ran smack into his back. She mumbled an apology and moved to stand beside him as she rubbed her forehead. The rain began to fall slightly harsher.

"As I thought. It was leading me to a specific grave." Lelouch said.

"Well no shit Sherlock! Where else would it lead you to in a **graveyard**!" she hissed. Lelouch was always considered a smart person in her opinion, why was a grave to astounding to him?

"What I meant is that usually something like this would be leading you to a person, right?" Lelouch asked her as he turned back to her.

"Well maybe. Oh well, forget I said anything. Who's grave is it and why are we here?" she sighed in defeat.

Now that the rain was practically pouring down they heard the first claps of thunder rage around them. Kallen's once spiky ruby hair was now auburn, flat and clinging to her skin. Lelouch kneeled before the tombstone and pulled some moss and dirt away from the head of the grave.

"Yoshihiro Enkou." Lelouch read out-loud.

"Why does that name sound familiar…." Kallen thought intensely for a moment. Kallen pulled out her smart phone and began to Google the name.

"It does sound familiar, doesn't it?" Lelouch asked himself. He stood up straight and thought to himself for a moment, but nothing came to mind.

"Lelouch….." Kallen said rather emotionally. Lelouch didn't ignore her so to say, he just chose not to respond. "Lelouch…." She repeated more eagerly.

"What?" he finally replied.

"I looked up his name…..on the internet." She paused as Lelouch turned to face her. His hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks and his clothing wrapped itself skin-tight around his arms, neck, chest and torso.

"What about him?" Lelouch asked monotony.

"It says….that he…" Kallen gave Lelouch a worried look before Lelouch took the phone from Kallen to read it for himself.

**In April of 1996 A.T.B., Yoshihiro Enkou of Tokyo's Sakuradite Harvesting Co. began an affair with a Britannian woman named Marianne Lamperouge. After divorcing his wife, Yoko Zatta, Yoshihiro began to court Marianne into a wedding engagement. For reasons unknown in March of 1997 Marianne broke off the engagement and returned to Britannia. Yoshihiro, heartbrokenly, stowed himself away at the Nirvana Shrine in Shinjuku where he was found murdered on May 5****th**** 2006. The murderer was never caught and it is rumored that the assassin was close to Yoshihiro. Yoshihiro left behind no heirs and no kin. His fortune in the Sakuradite Harvesting Co. was left to Marianne Lamperouge in his will. Many have accused the now late Marianne Vi Britannia of his murder. Although she was never convicted, she was banished from returning to Japan by court law.**

"My….mother….had an affair before she met my father? With a Japanese man?" Lelouch asked shakily as the chill of the rain soaked through him.

"Well that explains how you're connected to this mans' grave. But why would someone lead us here instead of just telling us?" Kallen pondered as she shivered.

"I don't know, but I think it's best if we leave for now. That arrow is gone and I haven't' seen it in a while. Besides, we're going to catch colds at this rate." Lelouch said as he handed Kallen's phone back to her. They trudged through the muddy graveyard back to the main street. Once again they halted in their spot as they saw the arrow once more. It seemed to float in the air ominously with nothing to uphold its existence. This time, instead of guiding them, it transformed into kanji words.

'**Thank you.' **It read.

Kallen and Lelouch blinked at one another before the words vanished into this air. They made their way back to the castle while discussing Yoshihiro and the mysterious arrow. Neither came up with a logical explanation for the source of the arrow, but they did both agree that it could wait until tomorrow to be investigated further. Kallen returned to her room where she took a hot bath like she'd promised herself and Lelouch merely changed his clothes and went to bed.

_**XxXxXxX**_

The next morning everyone met at the breakfast table. The only one not there was Lelouch. Shirley and Milly were giggling about how many guys they'd danced with that night and Lucina even bragged about getting a kiss on the hand from a Knight of Round. Rivalz eyes remained glued to Milly's beautiful smiling face, he was just glad she wasn't crying anymore. Even Kallen was up and chipper, occasionally joining in on the conversation. Suzaku and Euphemia were the only ones behaving themselves and eating their food properly. Nina being an odd exception because she normally behaved well, but this morning her typing on the computer was as loud as ever. Whatever she was working on must've been the sequel to the dictionary. Lelouch finally walked into the breakfast hall while talking on the cell phone with a laptop in hand.

"Seventeen eighty-six right?" he asked as he sat down. Everyone immediately became dead silent. They knew that if Lelouch was on the phone then it was time to shut up and let him listen.

"Alright, thank you." He hung up.

"Who was that?" Rivalz asked, being nosy.

"A secret serviceman. I had them check the security cameras for the coffee shop me and Kallen were at last night." He answered as he opened the laptop and turned it on.

"Wh-what for?" Kallen panicked, they'd talked about Zero occasionally. Maybe Lelouch was gathering evidence against her!

"**The arrow**." Lelouch said shortly.

"What about it?" Kallen asked. Lelouch gave her one of the darkest expression she'd, or anyone else, had ever seen.

"**It doesn't show up on the security camera recording.**" He said almost evilly in a low and deep tone.

Shirley became terrified as where everyone became interested. Kallen felt her pule rise and a little bit of fear well up inside of her.

"What do you mean, _**doesn't show up**_?" Kallen asked equally darkly.

"Come here." He said as Kallen got up and ran over to behind him. Everyone else piled up behind the laptop. Luckily for them the cameras had no audio and their conversation of Zero went unnoticed.

The video feed showed Kallen and Lelouch leaving the coffee shop and walk awkwardly for a few moments before walking out of camera view. Indeed, the arrow did not appear on the screen.

"Weird!" Kallen exclaimed.

"What's weird?" Rivalz bellowed. "The way you two dorks were walking?" he snickered.

"No." Lelouch frowned. "Last night Kallen and I saw a strange arrow guiding us away from the coffee shop. I requested the video feed of the store to see if I could find the source, but it doesn't even appear on camera." He explained.

"Well that's odd." Shirley said quietly.

"Everyone, I have a request of you all." Lelouch closed the laptop and turned to face them. "If you happen to see any arrows guiding you into weird places, please let me know immediately. Don't follow them, don't be alarmed. Just alert me so that I can follow them myself."

"Why?" Milly asked as she crossed her arms.

"Because last night that arrow lead me and Kallen into a very…well that's personal. Still, I'd like you all to be alert for me."

"What did this arrow look like?" Suzaku asked curiously.

"It was about three feet long and one foot wide. It flashed red and blue quickly and it moves when you get closer to it. Also it has an unknown origination. At first I thought it was a light projection from a nearby sign or something, but no matter what we did to it the arrow never faded or left a shadow. It could be military-grade holograms or imagery, but it still baffles me. I want you all to be aware and alert if it ever targets you." He instructed.

"That's incredibly weird. I'll have to ask Lloyd if such a thing exists!" Suzaku said impressed as he patted Arthur on the head.

"Please do that, I'd like to know just what the military is capable of in the hologram field." Lelouch said then stood up from his seat.

After Lelouch ate breakfast they all agreed it was time to do some Student Council business. Milly handed out paperwork that everyone needed to get done and Shirley was once again stuck with next year's clubs. The school year ended in just a couple of months and Milly wanted a head-start on the next year's events to come. Lelouch approved the upcoming festivals and events while Shirley chose which clubs got to be formed. Lucina and Milly approved the money budgets for each club while Rivalz organized a meeting schedule. Suzaku, Kallen and Nina all just pitched in wherever they were needed.

"Since **when **does the drama club need fifty thousand dollars?!" Shirley asked astounded as she glanced over at Lucina's paper.

"Oh I'm not approving that nonsense!" Lucina huffed with her nose in the air. For once Shirley agreed with the girl.

"Oh I don't know about that." Milly said slyly. "This year's plays are a Cinderella spin-off and Peter Pan. They'll probably need supplies to make Peter Pan fly, training for the equipment, a way to make Tinkerbell lift the ship into the air **and **I may or may not have of….approved Cinderella getting **real **glass slippers!" Milly shrieked in delight.

"Oh Milly! That's a waste of money!" Shirley frowned.

"Maybe not, it's just glass." Rivalz added.

"Yes, but they have to be hand crafted to fit the feet of whoever's gonna be Cinderella!" Shirley retorted. She was always one for a tight budget.

"Oh relax!" Milly giggled. "I've already looked into it. It's not **that **expensive!"

"Just how much are ya talkin' there?" Rivalz asked flatly.

"Five thousand dollars!" Milly smiled and Shirley choked on her own breath. Maybe all the money was going to Milly's head.

Maybe Lelouch needed to give Ruben a pay cut….

_**XxXxXxX**_

Since Lelouch had no school that day he decided to go down to the base as Zero and check up on everyone. He walked into the base and immediately ran into Ougi and Tamaki.

"Hey boss, haven't seen you in a while!" Tamaki said friendly.

"Yeah, it's been weeks since we've seen you around for more than a couple of hours at a time." Ougi added with a smile.

"Sorry, with the new Emperor making so many changes so quickly it's hard to keep up. I'm only here to make sure the preparations for Shinjuku are going smoothly." Zero said.

"Ah yes. They're going fine for the most part, but there is one issue…" Ougi grimaced.

"Oh?" was Zero's only reply.

"The bulldozers that are scheduled to tear down the old Shinjuku Ghetto next month still aren't here. According to the documents the shipments was supposed to be in last week, but it still isn't here. I still need to train the wrench-monkeys that are going to be driving the bulldozers on how to operate the machinery." Ougi explained.

"It hasn't arrived?" Zero asked and held his hand out as a gesture for Ougi to hand him the papers. "I see what's wrong. Those ships were supposed to be coming in from Britannia. Since Cornelia opposes Emperor Lelouch's rule she had all trade-routes from Britannia to Japan cut off. Luckily for us the bulldozers were the only Britannian import we had. Everything else came from China and Indochina." Zero answered and handed the papers back.

"I get it. Cornelia is a prude who wants to stop his highness from helping Japan so she-"

"His highness?" Zero interrupted in surprise.

"Oh yes, sorry if it offends you. You haven't been here in a while and a lot of the Black Knight members, and common Japanese folk, have begun to refer to Emperor Lelouch as 'his royal highness' or 'his majesty' out of sheer respect. I too am grateful for his help." Ougi gave a small smile.

For a moment Zero smile behind his mask; this was one of the things he wanted the most. He wanted the Black Knight to approve of him, but he never dreamed being worshiped by them. His reign was going better than originally planned.

"I see. I too respect him. Back on topic, what were you saying?" Zero asked.

"Oh yes, Cornelia wants to prevent Japan from using all the Britannian resources. It makes sense that she'd stop the trade-route. So how else are we supposed to get that shipment in? Do any other countries have that many bulldozers?" Ougi asked.

"No, but don't' worry. I'll just have Emperor Lelouch override Cornelia's commands." Zero smirked.

"You can just…command him to do that?" Ougi asked amazed, just how much power did Zero have?

"Well no, but he certainly won't be happy knowing that Cornelia is interfering with his plans. All I have to do is tell him the trade-route has been shut-off and he'll fix it for us." Zero said as he began to walk passed Ougi. At first Ougi remained where he was beside Tamaki, but decided to speak to Zero a little longer.

"So you really like this new Emperor, don't you?" Ougi asked almost like a school girl talking about a new boy in class.

"Yes." Zero said simply.

"Please tell me you don't plan to turn on him anytime soon…" Ougi pleaded.

"No, and I don't' want anyone to make any secret, unauthorized, attempts to interfere with his plans." Zero said sternly.

"Right, we wouldn't want that to happen. By the way, have you spoken to his majesty lately?" Ougi asked excitedly again.

"Yes, just today." Zero replied. Ougi was beginning to annoy him.

"What'd he say?" Ougi asked brightly.

"About what?"

"Anything, what did you guys talk about?" Ougi asked and he followed Zero into the elevator.

"Why I have to put up with your insistent questioning." Zero asked half-seriously.

"Seriously Master Zero, did he say anything about Shinjuku or Japan?" Ougi said more professionally. He realized he must've been annoying his leader and cut-out the schoolgirl act.

"Yes, as a matter of fact he did." Zero grinned widely beneath the helmet. "He told me that a man named Yoshihiro Enkou was the C.E.O. of the Sakuradite Harvesting Co. and that the rights to the mine were stolen from him upon his death. Emperor Lelouch intends to restore Japan the rights to the Sakuradite mines and employ the Japanese to work in the miens as well."

"Wh-what….seriously? Are you kidding? That means we won the war entirely! If we have control of the Sakuradite mines then we have all the power!" Ougi said with wide eyes and had to force himself not to drop his paperwork.

"I know." Zero said slyly as he exited the elevator. Ougi remained in shock as the elevator doors closed on him and Zero vanished from his sights.

Zero made his way to his personal office where he scanned the room to make sure it was just him inside. Aside from C.C. snoozing on the couch he deemed them alone and it safe to remove his mask. He sat next to C.C.'s head seeing as her body took up the rest of the couch on the other side. The movement stirred the woman out of her slumber and back into the realm of the waking. She groggily sat up and rubbed her eyes clean of the sleep dust from the sleep fairies. She greeted Lelouch warmly with a smile and yawned. He only gave her a moment's glance as he picked up all the letters and mail that the Black Knights usual drop off while he's away. He began going through it all and only found a single letter of any importance.

"How was school." C.C. asked lazily.

"It was amazing, it didn't exist today." He said sarcastically with a serious tone.

"Oh right, it's Saturday isn't it?" she asked herself.

"Mhm." Lelouch moaned out boredly as he tossed the letter back onto the table.

"You sound enthused, what's the matter?" she asked as she snuggled up against him.

"C.C., have you ever seen a mystic arrow that flashed red and blue?" he turned his gaze towards her.

"No. What on Earth are you talking about?" she meshed her eyebrows closer together.

"Last night a strange arrow made of pure light or something led me and Kallen to a graveyard in Shinjuku. The grave was of Yoshihiro Enkou, a man my mother once had an affair with. I couldn't find the source of the arrow-"

"Oh dear, here we go…" C.C. said with wide eyes as she sat up properly.

"You know what it was?!" Lelouch abruptly asked.

"Yoshihiro Enkou and your mother almost married once." C.C. explained.

"I know, I read the Wikipedia page on it." Lelouch said thoughtfully.

"Did it mention the reason why Marianne left him?"

"Not really. It just says that she somehow swindled him into putting her as the next of kin into the will to inherit the Sakuradite Harvesting Co.." Lelouch took a deep breath.

"Yes, that part is true. The arrow however…. Don't question it." She said solemnly.

"What do you mean?"

"I won't tell you to not follow it or to avoid it either. It's up to you if you follow that sort of path." She said whimsically.

"What **is **it? A hologram?" Lelouch asked.

"No. I cannot tell you. I am forbidden to tell you anything. The sheer fact that you've seen it once proves he knows where you were at one time and eh can easily find you again. He may even know you're here as Zero right now." C.C. said as she stood up and picked up her Cheese-Kun pillow.

"Who is **he**? Yoshihiro Enkou?" Lelouch stood up as well.

"Not quite." C.C. closed her eyes sadly. "It is as I told you before; I cannot tell you anything more. If you truly desire the truth then follow the arrow's clues. If you wish to never know then ignore the arrow. Do not follow it." She instructed as she lay back down on the couch and curled up to spoon her yellow pillow friend.

"What's with you? You never tell me anything. Like what's the condition of our contract? Where'd you come from? How do you know my mother had an affair?" Lelouch asked rapid-fire.

"In due time Lelouch. You may find out one day." She said softly as she closed her eyes.

"Well I'm going to follow that arrow next time I see it. I'm going to find out what this guy wants and who he is." Lelouch sat back down beside C.C.'s head. The witch smiled contently.

"Good." She replied.

"In the meantime I want you to come back to the castle. I'll have a bedroom prepared for you so that you won't have to stay here anymore. I've cleared the government's search for you. I no longer care if you're discovered. I won't let them have you. Try as they might I **will **protect you." Lelouch said sternly.

"Is that an order, _**your highness**_?" C.C. smirked up at him.

"Yes."

_**XxXxXxX**_

"What?!" Kallen jumped out of her seat.

"Yes, you heard me." Lelouch said as he folded his hands together with his elbows on the table before him.

"Your highness…" Ruben Ashford began nervously. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"He's right Lelouch, what if something goes wrong?" Milly added.

This was the meeting between Lelouch, Kallen, the Ashfords, Kaguya Sumeragi and Ruri Kozuki. They were discussing Japan's future together and how the new Japan of Britannia would look in the coming years. They scheduled entire cities to be renovated and the Sakuradite mines to be excavated. Although one topic Lelouch brought up had everyone in a frenzy.

"I need to speak with Zero and the Black Knights face to face." Lelouch said sternly as he turned his gaze to Kallen who remained standing in surprise.

"But…. Isn't that dangerous?" Kallen boggled.

"Naturally yes, but I assure you that with all that I've done for Japan the Black Knights won't have a reason to attack." He quelled her fears.

"S-still….just them being at the Palace would be….would be…"Kallen couldn't find the right word.

"It doesn't matter, this meeting **absolutely has **to happen." He stood up and turned to leave. "This meeting is adjourned."

"Wait, Lelouch!" Milly ran after him. "Please give this some thought! How are you supposed to contact them without alerting the media?!" Milly tried to reason with him. If the press was alerted to Lelouch hosting the Black Knights in a meeting all hell could break loose.

"Leave that to me. I **am **Emperor after all; I have ways of doing things that the normal military can't." Lelouch smirked, although Milly couldn't see it, he had his back turned to her.

Lelouch lead Kallen back to his personal bedroom where they once again found themselves sitting on his lounge couch.

"Shall we practice using your Geass again?" Lelouch asked nonchalantly.

"First I wanna know how you're going to sneak all those Black Knights in here without anyone knowing. Secondly how is Zero going to get in with that mask on? Thirdly….!" Kallen grit her teeth. "What am **I **going to do? Just sit there twiddling my thumbs? Am I showing up as a Black Knight or as your Knight?" Kallen hissed.

"Calm down. I'm going to remove the Palace security from the inside. Only the outsides of the Palace will be guarded. The tunnel we use to go to school will be their main transportation to get inside the Palace without getting alerted by security." Lelouch sighed.

"Alright, but what about **me**?" she calmed down somewhat.

"Since no one else will be attending the meeting you may choose whichever role you'd like. Show up as a Black Knight or my Knight, take your pick. It won't change anything." Lelouch said.

"I'm choosing Black Knight, **obviously**." She said stiffly.

"Ouch." He smiled jokingly. She couldn't help but return the playful smile.

"I'm joking, even though I'm still going as a Black Knight." She laughed lightly.

"That's fine." He said softly. "How's about another try at your Geass. Maybe you'll impress Zero some more." He offered. The smile that spread across Kallen's face lit up brightly.

After about twenty minutes and no Geass vision Kallen called it quits for the time being. Just as they wrapped up their little Geass lesson a guard knocked on Lelouch's door. Lelouch permitted entrance to his guest who happened to be Ruben Ashford.

"Your highness, might I-"

"We're alone Ruben, please just call me Lelouch." He commanded.

"As you wish, Lelouch. I wish to speak with you about an important matter." Ruben began and Lelouch appointed him to sit on the couch across from him. "Are you sure you want Miss Kozuki to listen in on our conversation?"

"She's fine, just tell me what you want." Lelouch commanded.

"I think that with the Cornelia threat looming over you, that-"

"Woah, woah! Cornelia threat?" Lelouch sat upright.

"Yes, the one where she's planning to divide Britannia into two sectors in which one supports her becoming Empress and the other who will support you in staying Emperor. How have you not heard?" Ruben was baffled.

"When did this start?" Lelouch grit his teeth.

"Yesterday, after the ball the rallied some of her friends back in the mainland. Most of the Britannians are willing to acknowledge her as Empress if she can dethrone you." The elder man explained to the frustrated Emperor.

"Damnit, it just happened last night then. So what was your point of this meeting?"

"Right then, I think it is best if you marry and secure an heir to the throne so that if you should die in battle your works will be preserved by your kin. Perhaps if you wrote a will?" Ruben suggested.

"I am in absolutely no position right now to worry about marrying or breeding. My main concern is Japan and the other area-colonies. If it's a next of kin you want then I'll select Nunnally, or even Euphemia. Suzaku and Euphemia recently came into a romantic relationship, if they wed they'd make a suitable team for preserving Japan of Britannia." Lelouch said nonchalantly.

"No disrespect sire, but I don't think you understand just how this sort of thing works. Leaving a sibling as your next of kin when the Emperor doesn't always work out so well. Your father Charles had a brother who did not make it into the will due to being a sibling as opposed to an heir. Offspring just work better. For one they're much younger and can have a longer reign expectancy." The man tried to reason.

"Wait…what? What did you say?" Lelouch sat up abruptly with his violet eyes wide and alert at the elder man.

"He chose an heir over his brother?" Ruben squinted at Lelouch.

"I have an** uncle**?" Lelouch's mouth hung open a little.

"Well I never heard of his existence either, but when you asked me to look into the sacred vaults of the old Emperor there were records of all the previous Emperors in it. Charles Zi Britannia had an older brother it mentioned, but clearly he didn't make it into the will at all; he wasn't even **mentioned**." Ruben explained.

"That's odd….incredibly strange… I wonder if Cornelia or any of the others knew about this…. What was his name?" Lelouch asked seriously.

"I don't recall the documents ever having given his name; he merely went by the initials V. V." Ruben told the leery Emperor.

"V. V.? It doesn't ring a bell. When this meeting is over I want you to look through the vault again and pull up **every **royal family member from my father's side. I want you to find out how many siblings he had, how many children they had, who they were and where they are now." Lelouch commanded.

"Right sir, I will do that, but right now there are more pressing matters! With Cornelia looming over us it could spell the end for you! Please consider wedding and bearing offspring! It'd be for the best of all of Britannia!" Ruben pleaded.

"If I died in the battle with Cornelia anytime soon, there won't **be **an heir to the throne. For now just have Nunnally and Euphemia added to the list, put Nunnally as the primary and if she doesn't accept offer it to Euphemia." Lelouch ordered. Ruben jotted down some notes and looked back up pleadingly to Lelouch.

"Both of them are such young women, they may feel too pressured to take the throne or not know how to control the country properly. Who would be a third pick for you?" the greying man asked.

"A third pick…?" Lelouch asked himself. He remained deep in thought for a moment, and then an idea hit him. "Does this person have to be related to me?"

"Well…technically no, but why on Earth would you want someone not related to you? The throne of Britannia has remained in control by the very same blood line that forged the country two-thousand years ago. It'd be a shame to see it slip into the hands of another." Ruben frowned.

"Still, my third pick shall be…." He grinned. Ruben put his pen against the paper prepared to write his Master's request down. "Suzaku Kururugi."

Kallen's eyes popped open as her head flung around to stare at Lelouch in disbelief as her mouth hung open slight. She only made a small noise of surprise; a slight airy gasp. Ruben however dropped his pen entirely without having written Suzaku's name down. His trembling hand went up to his glasses and took them off.

"Lelouch…. Surely you jest…." The man's trembling shook in his voice with evidence.

"No, I am not. Suzaku is a very 'by-the-book' person. He won't break any laws to help Japan that would otherwise anger Britannia. Britannia might actually be happier with the way Suzaku would have ruled than they are now with me. He's a bit harsher by nature." Lelouch explained.

"Yes, sir Kururugi is a remarkable choice. But what about Cornelia or Schneizel? You have other siblings fit for the throne my lord!" Ruben beckoned the stoic Emperor.

"No, they are **not **fit for the throne. Only Nunnally and Euphemia are kind and gentle enough to help Japan and the other area-colonies to rebuild themselves. They're the only ones with the right heart to do the job." Lelouch gave the older man an intense violet stare.

"Lelouch…!" Kallen nearly bit her tongue. "I know you're focused on Japan and that's good, but…." She couldn't believe she was about to say this…. "What about Britannia. You **are **its Emperor, you have to think about Britannia's well-being as well!"

For a moment Lelouch looked over to Kallen mystified, he'd **never **heard her try to defend Britannia or its people before. Maybe she was simply trying to knock some common sense into him, which he appreciated, but now wasn't the time for him to worry about Britannia as a whole.

"Thank you Kallen, I understand that Britannia is the main country. However…" he stood up then bent over to grab Ruben's pen from the floor. "Britannia is large and well taken care of enough. It doesn't need my attention right now like the are-colonies and third world nations do." He said strongly as he offered Ruben the pen back.

Kallen lost herself. Lelouch was Emperor, of Britannia, helping every other weak and defenseless nation in the world. He was also bending over to help pick up an elderly man's pen. For a moment it all seemed surreal to her, the world really was changing before her very eyes. For once the evil Empire of Britannia had not just a decent Emperor, but a kind and loving one at that. Kallen's mind may have warped Lelouch's true nature to a gentler light, but the truth remained that around him she felt…..

**Happy**.

"Now write Suzaku Kururugi's name down." Lelouch demanded, now back into his usual godlike self.

_The rocks were rough, the soil dry and the air humid. His hands hurt slightly from the jagged edges of the rock-wall he was attempting to scale. Suddenly a small hand extended towards him and he grasped it eagerly. With the help of this hand he was able to stand at the top of the rock wall and look into the other boy's eyes. He had short brown messy hair with burning green eyes. Kallen recognized this child as Suzaku Kururugi. She continued to watch as they ran together through a dense forest until they reached a small cottage in the thicket. She could feel how tired the boy was, who she'd assumed was Lelouch. She continued to watch the vision as Lelouch and Suzaku entered the cottage to find Nunnally sitting in her wheelchair accompanies by another young girl. This girl had long black hair and darker green eyes. _

"_Kaguya! I thought you went home!" Suzaku whined loudly in his pre-pubescent voice._

"_Nuh uh! Nunnally and I were talking about who gets to marry Lelou!" Kaguya sneered back to her cousin._

"_Well that's obvious!" Suzaku rolled his eyes at her. "It's gonna be Nunnally!"_

"_What? Suzaku…" Lelouch spoke up dumbfounded. "It's not normal to marry your sister." He informed the other boy._

"_It isn't?" Suzaku tilted his head cutely._

"Thank you Ruben, I'll see you later." Lelouch said as he closed the door and Ruben disappeared. Lelouch immediately turned to Kallen who Geass symbol was only just now disappearing. He turned around quickly and slammed his back against the door. "You had a vision, didn't you?" he asked both excitedly and fearfully. Once again, his greatest fear was Kallen picking up a memory of Zero.

"Y-yes. It was another childhood memory." She said as she rubbed her forehead.

"Of?" he inquisitioned as he walked back over to the couch and sat next to her.

"You and Suzaku running through a forest and into this…small hut thing where Kaguya and Nunnally were…" she stopped to smile gently. "…were arguing about who was going to get to marry you."

Lelouch was torn between laughing and being disgusted, he didn't want to marry either of them. Nunnally was his sister and Kaguya was too young and…cheerful.

"Right then, do you feel as if you're making progress with it?" he asked.

"Uhm….not really. I mean it seems to happen more during emotional even than with me trying too hard." Kallen pondered.

"Maybe you need to relax and use it naturally rather than forcefully. Try simply wondering about my childhood and see if it happens again." Lelouch offered and Kallen agreed.

Once again they sat there staring at each other for a good hour before Kallen groaned in agony. She wasn't picking anything up and she feared the meeting that was to come in a few hours. Lelouch sensed her dismay and excused her back to the Black Knight base so that she may round up the leading Black Knights for the meeting. Lelouch instructed C.C. to be Zero for the evening while he removed the security guards.

"Everyone who is not a part of this meeting, guards included, is to leave the Palace until twenty-two o'clock. All security cameras are to be turned off and all personnel are to stand guard **outside **the Palace. Under **no **circumstances is anyone allowed to enter or interfere with the meeting." Lelouch announced regally at the podium.

"Yes, your highness!" the army of Palace guards shouted in unison.

Lelouch's friends were even removed from the castle, they all went out to dinner or to movies; whichever they wanted to do.

"Man, I wish I knew what was going on…." Shirley whined.

"I wish I could tell you, but I'm not allowed to." Milly bit her lip.

"You mean you actually know what's going on in there?" Rivalz barked at her.

"Well yes, but I won't. It's top secret. Even the other members of royalty weren't allowed to know." Milly explained.

"Damn! It must be serious then!" Rivalz said amazed.

"It sure is….I just hope Lelouch will be alright." Milly sighed sadly. Her darling Lulu was trapped in a room full of terrorists, how could she not be concerned?

"You mean he's in danger?" Shirley blinked, she tried to remain calm before panicking.

"Oh no, he's fine!" Milly lied. "I just meant that all that discussing they must be doing will drain him of his energy is all!" Milly laughed nervously. Shirley didn't exactly fall for it, she knew Milly's 'I'm totally lying right now' act.

Back inside the Black Knight base Kallen was bust rallying everyone.

"Ougi, there's something incredibly important I need to tell you!" Kallen ran after the man who was just getting into the elevator. He held the door open and allowed Kallen to enter with him.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Ougi asked worriedly.

"Well, not….really. Lelouch has ordered a meeting between Zero, us and himself!" Kallen exclaimed louder than necessary.

"I know, Zero already told us about an hour ago. We're all getting ready." Ougi said as he placed his hands on her shoulder to calm her.

"Wh-what? He's here?" Kallen asked as she tried to calm herself.

"Yes, he's been here for a while now. All the top Black Knights are getting ready for the meeting. His majesty's royal escort car is here to pick us up already." Ougi explained.

"Wait a minute, why didn't Lelouch just come here? Why make **all of us **go to the Palace?" Kallen asked baffled.

"Well we all thought that same thing, but Zero mentioned that the room we're using for the meeting at the Palace is already installed with computer screens for the information for the meeting." Ougi scratched his head.

"Oh, but… I just feel odd, you know? All of us going to the Palace." Kallen mumbled lowly.

"We all do, but Master Zero **and **Emperor Lelouch both assured us that this is by no means an attempt to attack us. He even instructed us to wear out black facial visors in case a guard see's us." He said as he pointed to his face-wear.

"Yeah, he cleared the castle of all the security guards and all the cameras are off." Kallen explained.

"Good, I'm glad to see he's willing to protect us. I knew he liked the Japanese when he began helping us, but I was worried about his views on us the Black Knights." Ougi sighed in relief.

"Well he made me his Knight." Kallen stated.

"Yes, he thinks you're a Britannian."

"No, he knows I'm half-Japanese. You saw that broadcast. Besides, he also knows I'm the ace pilot of the Black Knights." Kallen informed him as she gave Ougi a determined gleam.

"R-really? He knows you're a Black Knight, and he **still **Knighted you?!" Ougi's eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he took a step backwards.

"Yes, and he doesn't think badly of the Black Knights or Master Zero. In fact I once heard him say it's not a 'crime' to be a member." She said as she looked thoughtful.

"Wow, so Emperor Lelouch is serious about this whole Japan thing. Man I never thought I'd be so happy to see Britannia's leader before! I'm so eager for this meeting, you have no idea! I want to meet this man in person and shake his hand!" Ougi pump his fist in a victorious pose.

Kallen smiled, she felt nice being half-Britannian for once; it was an odd feeling really, she didn't quite know how to describe it. Feeling proud to be half Japanese-half Britannian was like a double win to her at this moment. She **never **thought she'd feel this way in her entire life. Not since she was a small child before the war. Now that Japan of Britannia wasn't enslaved and was considered am 'allied nation' in Britannia's eyes she felt very happy with the way the world was going. Kallen felt light-hearted all the way back to Zero's office where, unknown to her, C.C. in Zero's outfit lead them into the royal escort car. Kallen had been in one before when Zero first lead the mission to rescue Suzaku from execution, but this was her first time riding in it as a royal guest. Being the Emperor's Knight maybe she'd get to ride it again someday.

Once they arrived they were driven into an underground tunnel which began freaking everyone out except for Zero and Kallen.

"It's a trap! They're taking us to an underground dungeon!" Tamaki squealed in fear.

"Oh god! It's all over!"

"Why did we fall for this crap!?"

"Master Zero, save us!"

Kallen face palmed.

"Relax everyone, this is just the secret underground tunnel that the Emperor and I use to get to school without anyone knowing." Kallen sighed deeply at how pathetic her comrades could be. "There's nothing to worry about, this lets out at the back of the castle."

"So we're safe then?" Tamaki asked blankly.

"Yes." Zero and Kallen said together.

"Yay for Emperor Lulu!" Tamaki chirped doing a one-eighty in his opinions.

Kallen rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to laugh at the nickname, C.C. however, as Zero, decided it was a perfectly bright idea to laugh heartily. Tamaki joined Zero in laughing as Ougi tried to tell them that it was offensive.

"From my personal experience Lelouch isn't easily offended by the nickname Lelou." Kallen noted.

"Really?" Ougi turned to her slightly surprised.

"I've never called him it before, but a lot of his friends do. It just doesn't seem to bother him." Kallen said.

"You should!" Tamaki laughed loudly. "See how he reacts!"

Kallen groaned, there was **no **way she was calling Lelouch by such a juvenile name.

When the car stopped everyone was escorted by Kallen out of the car and into the main hall of the Palace. Everyone, besides Kallen and C.C., gawked at the palatial setting and marble floors. Ougi took a couple moments to stop and view the massive gallery of paintings while everyone else talked about how rich the Emperor must be to afford all of this.

"Man, I haven't seen this much marble since my childhood field trip to the marble factory!" Tamaki exclaimed as he slid his hand along the walls as he walked.

"Alright, the tour is over fellas." Kallen placed her hands on her hips.

"Yes, the meeting should begin soon." C.C. as Zero said. "Kallen, guide us to the meeting room."

"Right!" Kallen said formally, she had no idea that C.C. was Zero today. She knew that occasionally Zero took a break and C.C. took over, but she didn't know that C.C. was Zero today.

Luckily for Lelouch, who awaited them all alone in the meeting room, Kallen still had no clue that he was Zero. He just prayed that her Geass didn't activate during the meeting. After a few minutes of waiting the door opened to reveal Kallen and Zero followed by the top ten Leading Black Knights.

"Hiya!" Kaguya popped out of the closet door.

"K-kaguya!" Lelouch shouted in surprise as the young girl pranced up to them him.

"I figured something super-top-secret was going on when you closed down the Palace for the evening! So I decided to hang around and find out! I had no Idea that Master Zero would be joining us!" Kaguya chirped as she took a seat at the table.

"Kaguya, normally I'd tell you to leave, but clearly that isn't an option right now." Lelouch groaned. "You must promise to keep me and Zero's meeting a complete secret. It could cost you your new job!" he warned her darkly.

"Ohh! I don't want to lose being Japan's Viceroy, now do I? I won't tell a soul!" Kaguya winked and smiled brightly.

"V-viceroy…of Japan?" Ougi asked baffled.

"Yes, Kaguya Sumeragi of Kyoto house is now Viceroy of Japan. Her sub-Viceroy is Kallen's very own mother, Ruri Kozuki. There hasn't been a formal announcement yet so I'd like you all to remain quiet about this for now." Lelouch instructed.

"Of course." Zero said then took a seat next to Lelouch's designated chair.

Lelouch went to sit back down, but Ougi walked up to him and made a noise that caught the Emperor's attention. Ougi stuck his hand out courtly.

"It's an honor to meet you, Emperor Lelouch." The man smiled. Lelouch returned the grin and shook his hand.

"You as well, Kaname Ougi." Lelouch said strongly.

"Y-you know my name?" Ougi stumbled backwards a bit. Even though Ougi was wearing his black visor mask, Lelouch still recognized him. Ougi's name hadn't been made public as a Black Knight yet and there was no way Lelouch could have known his name.

"Yes, I know all of your names. Shinichiro Tamaki, Naomi Inoue, Kent Sugiyama. I know you all by first **and **last name." Lelouch said as he went to sit down next to Zero.

"Did Zero tell you?" Ougi asked almost angrily, it felt a bit like a betrayal.

"No, he didn't need to. Don't worry about it. I'm not going to do anything to you." Lelouch said reassuringly.

"Right then, what's this meeting all about? Shinjuku?" Ougi asked.

"Please, all of you, sit down." Lelouch offered and everyone took a seat. "We will talk a little bit about Shinjuku eventually, maybe at a different meeting. Right now there's a more important issue." Lelouch began as he turned on the computer screen build into the table. "Cornelia wants to dethrone me, I know this isn't directly the Black Knight's problem, but I'm at a loss. I want to help Japan, but I cannot if I'm fighting a battle against my own nation. Half of the Britannian army doesn't obey me and the majority of the ex-nobles want to execute me."

"So you're telling us this, why?" Tamaki's eyebrow quirked.

"I need your help." Lelouch said earnestly.

"What? The Emperor of Britannia is asking the **Black Knights **for help?" Ougi's eyes widened.

"Yes, and I'll compensate you in return if you do help me." Lelouch said quickly.

"We're listening." Zero said flatly.

"I'll promote the Black Knights as the **official **army of Japan of Britannia. You won't be a rebel-terrorist organization anymore, but a real army fighting to protect your nation. In exchange you'll protect me from Cornelia and any Britannian domestic-terrorist group that may attack me. I'll need your cooperation during the Shinjuku renovations especially because that's when she's likely to attack." Lelouch said as all of the Knights gleamed at him.

"You're going to…." Tamaki's mouth hung open and he did not finish his sentence.

"You're making **us **the national army?" Ougi asked bewildered.

"I like that." 'Zero' said. C.C. smirked behind the mask; this was the topic that she and Lelouch had rehearsed for. She knew all the questions to ask and all the answers Lelouch would give. This was essentially a show they were putting on for Kallen and the other Black Knights. "So Emperor Lelouch, tell us what support as **your army **you'll give us. New equipment, access to Britannian military-grade weapons?" Zero asked as she leaned back in her seat.

"We'll be sending you all new upgraded models of the future Knightmare Frames that Britannia has been developing." Lelouch began and pressed a button that activated the central-table computer screen. A model of a Knightmare Frame with wings protruding from its back appeared. "It's called the Float System, it has a fancier name, but that's not important. With these our Knightmare Frames will fly high above anything Cornelia has."

"Woah! **Flying **Knightmare Frames?!" Tamaki yelped.

"Yes, and every single Japan of Britannia soldier will get one. Zero, Kallen." Lelouch turned to C.C.

"Yes?" Zero asked.

"You two will get a varied model of these new machines. Kallen will receive the Guren MK-II S.E.I.T.I.N. and Zero you'll get the Gawain. Now I know that **C.C. **isn't here right now, but she too will receive a newer model." Lelouch explained as the different images of Knightmares flashed across the screen.

"Emperor Lelouch, might I ask an off-topic question?" Ougi asked a tad sheepishly.

"Go on." Lelouch instructed.

"Master Zero mentioned you returning us the rights of the Sakuradite Harvesting Co., is this true?" Ougi leaned forwards eagerly.

"Yes." Lelouch stated shortly.

"Then how will Britannia get ahold of its supply of Sakuradite?"

"Easy, we'll **buy **it from you; like we used to." Lelouch said flatly.

"Not that I'm not entirely grateful your highness, but…wouldn't that a huge disadvantage for you and Britannia?" Ougi almost regretted asking, he didn't want Lelouch to change his mind.

"I won't lie, it's not the best option for Britannia as a whole. However, it helps Japan get back into the workforce and earning its own revenue. If the Japanese begin working in the mines again then Britannia buys the ore from Japan…." Lelouch paused to think for a moment. "Then Japan will become independent financially eventually. It won't rely on Britannia for financial protection or stability. At that point Japan will be able to support itself should it decide to open more houses or renovate an entire city. Kaguya and Ms. Kozuki will together decide how the money earned from the mines is spent." Lelouch informed them stoically.

"Back on topic." Zero commanded.

"Right then." Lelouch sighed slightly.

"So we're getting the new Knightmare Frames and equipment, what else? Are we getting any national titles or financial compensation?" Zero asked.

"Again, yes. Zero, as the leader of the Black Knights you'll be their leader. You'll be offered a special role. I'll talk to you in private later about that. For now we'll focus on the Black Knights themselves. Kallen already has the title of Knight of the Emperor, but that's a false title." Lelouch said.

"What? What do you mean **false**?" Kallen hissed angrily.

"I mean it's a title I made up just for you, it didn't previously exist. The Emperor normally has no 'Knight'; instead the Knights of the Round have always all been collectively the Emperor's 'Knight'. I'd like to change your title soon. I haven't met all of the Knights of Round yet. I know the slot of Knight of One is taken and I plan to demote him so that I may give that spot to Kallen eventually." Lelouch explained.

"K-knight…of One…?" Kallen stuttered. She wasn't sure if she was excited or scared. Either way her heart-beat rose greatly.

"Indeed. All of you will receive war-titles and all of the same treatments that the main Britannian army receives." Lelouch informed them.

"Good." Zero said flatly. "Now then, I'd like to discuss the future of Japan. How long will we remain under Britannia's hold?"

"Forever." Lelouch said sternly. Some of the Black Knights gave Lelouch a skeptical look, but withheld their tongues.

"Why so?" Zero asked.

"Because I want us to be allies, if Britannia let's Japan go free then one day we could become enemies again. Or worse…. I die and Cornelia or someone else takes over and they re-enslave you all. You don't want to return to _**Area Eleven, **_do you?" Lelouch tried his best not to smirk to make it seem like a threat, but he knew without the snarky smile that his words hit home with the Black Knights.

"Alright, I like this." Zero said.

"Hang on a moment!" Ougi interrupted. "Are we or are we not considered _independent_?"

"Not as of right now, but you will be fairly independent once the mines are transferred over to you." Lelouch responded.

"I'm okay with that." Ougi then silenced himself.

"Last question." Zero said as she leaned forwards. "When do we start?" C.C. grinned. She liked Lelouch's plans, she felt comfortable in the Zero mask.

"Now. I just received word that Cornelia has gone back to the mainland and has begun a rally army. Half the Britannian army is refusing to obey me and will likely submit to her for an attack **very soon**." Lelouch frowned.

"What do we do to start?" Ougi stood up and slammed his hands on the desk, effectively startling Lelouch slightly.

"Well, for now I guess you can all go home and I'll talk with Zero some more." Lelouch instructed.

"Wait, is Zero staying in the Palace without us?" Ougi asked.

"If he so wishes, then he may. If he removes his mask and outfit then no one here in the Palace will have the slightest clue who he is; even myself. I'll set up an isolated room that no one is allowed near. The rest of you may leave." Lelouch ordered.

"Yes, your highness!" they shouted in unison. Lelouch knew that they revered him, but this display caught him off guard.

"You all really feel the need to hail me?" he asked a little surprised.

"It's our way of expressing gratitude!" Ougi said determinedly. "We aren't the monkey-like race **Charles **took us for. We know when to say _'thank you'_."

"Well then, you're welcome." Lelouch smiled a tiny smile and stood up as well.

Ougi shook Lelouch's hand one last time and they even bowed to one another in tradition Japanese courtesy. As Kaguya and the Black Knights, excluding Kallen and Zero, left Lelouch turned to Zero.

"Kallen, you go back to your bedroom while I show Zero his room." Lelouch ordered.

"But I'm still in my Black Knight uniform!" Kallen said worriedly.

"Don't worry, no one else is in the Palace." Lelouch assured her.

Kallen nodded and returned to her room where she immediately changed out of her clothes. Lelouch took C.C. into a bedroom just for her that wasn't as secluded as previously stated. She changed out of the Zero uniform and back into her regular clothes.

"That went well." C.C. said lazily as she lay on her plush bed in her bra and panties.

"You did excellently, C.C." Lelouch smirked, but it quickly faded; replacing the smirk was a frown of distain.

"Lelouch, you look like you're bothered by something so suddenly. Is something wrong?" C.C. sat up and looked at the grimacing Emperor.

"Earlier today Ruben mentioned my father, Charles, having a brother. I **never i**n my **life** heard of such a thing until then. I wonder if it was true or if the documents in the sacred vault had lies built upon them to trick me." Lelouch explained then sat down on the edge of C.C.'s plush bed. C.C. crawled over to him and draped her slender arms around his shoulders and snuggled up to his back.

"What all do you know?" C.C. asked coldly. The heartless expression on her face did not meet Lelouch's eyes for she was behind him.

"Not much. All Ruben told me was that they were brothers and his initials are V. V.. He didn't even make it into the will, much less was ever talked about during my swearing in as Emperor." Lelouch grit his teeth. He knew that he wouldn't find out **everything **about being an Emperor upon his first few months on the throne, but it was time to get some answers. He stood up and released himself from the witch's grasp.

"Are you leaving me here?" C.C. faked sadness. "Leaving me all alone in this **big castle **by myself?"

"I'm going to the vault **myself**. I wanna know what's in there and if it holds any information on this V. V. guy." Lelouch began to walk to the bedroom door.

"His name is pronounced _Vee-Two._" C.C. grinned wickedly.

Lelouch froze.

"You…." He groaned angrily as he turned back to the vile wench. "You **knew **about him?" He asked venomously as he marched back over to her.

For the first time in a long time C.C. felt a child of freight run through her. "If I admitted to that sort of thing, you'd **punish me**." She hid her grin behind the plush yellow pillow as she lay on her bed on her belly with her legs up crossed behind her.

"Enough jokes C.C.!" Lelouch bellowed loudly. "What all do you know?" he screeched as he snatched the pillow from her aggressively. She frowned, she didn't like this side of Lelouch.

"I know things that you are incapable of comprehending." She said in frozen monotone.

"Try me! My mind is ready." He tossed the pillow back onto the bed beside her. She tiresomely sat up and cuddled her Cheese-Kun pillow.

"There's almost nothing that I can say to you that will help you now. My only advice is in that vault." She then turned away from him and crawled to the front of the bed with the intentions of getting under the covers.

"No you don't!" he ran over to the bed and caught her from behind by the hips. "You're not sleeping until I get what I want!"

C.C. turned to him seductively with a smile lit aflame. "_Hello_, _Kallen_." C.C. said lecherously.

Lelouch's eyes widened as he let go of C.C. gently and slowly turned around to see the redhead staring at him uncaringly from the open door.

"So she's Zero's mistress **and **your consort?" the Red Knight asked coolly.

"It's nothing sexual Kallen. I want this woman to tell me everything about this V.V. guy and what his deal is." Lelouch said sternly.

"Don't worry, I heard most of the conversation; I'm only teasing. So you're going to this vault place? Take me with you." Kallen demanded as she crossed her arms and stood defiantly in the doorway.

"Why?" he asked roughly.

"For one to protect you; two I'm curious as well." She answered simply.

"Fine, I guess I don't mind." Lelouch allowed himself to relax.

"Oh, before you two leave me here all alone." C.C. began as she pulled the covers over herself. "The **very back end **of the sacred vault is a painting. I'd look behind it if I were you."

"Why?" Lelouch asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's where your _mother _liked to hide things. I don't know what's in it anymore, but I recommend looking there." The lime witch said sleepily then turned on her side to face away from them.

Understanding her words; Lelouch wordlessly turned off the lights and closed the door behind him. He then led Kallen to the top upper most section of the Palace. They walked side by side up the marble stairs silently. As where Lelouch's thoughts were occupied by what could possibly be in the vault; Kallen's were filled with her Master Zero. She was seeing less and less of him all the time. During the meeting he paid absolutely **no **attention to her nor did he congratulate her on becoming the Emperor's Knight. She didn't expect much praise, just a 'good job' or a 'well done'. His highest praise he'd ever given her was 'I'm proud to have you as my ace.'. This, to her, was her favorite thing that she'd ever been told. She glanced over to Lelouch, whose sights were set on straight ahead of him, and sighed. Lelouch and Zero where two polar opposite people; like fire and ice in the war of thunder. They both were fighting for a similar cause, yet going two entirely backwards paths to get the job done.

Zero was her Knight in black armor; he swept the lands of Japan like a modern samurai and slew the enemy with righteous fury. Lelouch was the Knight in white armor who purified everything he touched and all his enemies turned into allies. So very opposite, she feared the day the two would have to clash their intellectual blades and create the war that would tilt this world a new axis. She sighed deeply again and let her shoulders slump. She served both of these men, or so she assumed Zero was a man, with all her might. Even though she'd yet to defend Lelouch on the battlefield she knew the time would come; and quite soon. The time in which Emperor Lelouch and Master Zero either came to an alignment other than for the sake of Japan or to a war in which they fought over politics was bound to happen.

She only dreaded the path she'd inevitably have to choose. Japan, her home land with Zero…

Or the rest of the entire world with Lelouch.

"This is the elevator to the basement. It's password protected and it's the **only** path to the underground sacred vault." Lelouch explained as he showed Kallen the password as he typed it in.

The door slid open and they stepped inside. The small room began to fall downward in its descent into the undergrounds. As where Lelouch had been wearing his white Emperor's robe all day, Kallen had changed several times. The first was her pajamas; the second was street clothes, the third her formal attire, again into her Knight outfit and again the Black Knight uniform for the meeting. Now she wore a simple pink dress and flat shoes and a black half-jacket. She was an unusual mix of street rag and Princess. Even though Lelouch didn't comment on her attire he certainly…noticed it. He never had any opinions on fashion or clothing, but damn…Kallen had some interesting taste in it.

The elevator beeped and stopped moving. Once the doors opened to reveal what looked like a seventeenth century storage room made of boulder and mud they stepped inside. Lelouch pulled out a skeleton key and freed the door of its giant chained lock. The rattling of the chains hitting the floor echoed loudly in her ears. The noise hurt her teeth slightly and she clasped her hands over the sides of her head to clock the piercing sounds. The iron gates opened and he walked inside. She followed him slowly as he entered the first of many chambers.

"Ah, this should be easy to figure out." Lelouch smirked at his surroundings. Everything was labeled.

"Where are you going to start?" Kallen asked curiously.

"Hmm…." Lelouch moaned thoughtfully as he walked down the aisle like a mother in the super market looking for her child's cereal.

"How's about 'Emperors of Britannia'?" Kallen pointed out to their right.

"Not yet, I'm looking for the royal family documents." He said as he stopped to eye a row.

"Alec La Britannia….Ricardo Von Britannia….Celtic King Eowyn….Charles Zi Britannia…." These are all just past Emperors. I need the family members." He frowned and continued walking.

"Gabrielle La Britannia? Is she your sister?" Kallen asked casually.

"No, she's one of my father's consort wives." He said flatly.

"She's pretty." Kallen commented as she looked up at the painting of the woman.

"She was a **consort wife**, of course she was _pretty_. Why else would my lecherous father take interest in her?" Lelouch rolled his eyes. Kallen grinned, the memory of Rivalz teasing Lelouch about wives popped into her mind.

"So…" she began suspiciously as she walked up directly behind him and followed him closely. "If you **had **to make a _harem _right now, who'd be in it?" she grinned mischievously.

"Not you, that's for sure!" he snorted in denial with a grin.

"Wh-what? You say that like I'm ugly or something!" she hissed offended.

"Relax, I was joking." He turned to her and gave her an evil smile.

Now Kallen wasn't sure if he was just being polite about rejecting her, or if he was being a schoolboy teasing a girl because she was pretty. Either way she was sure she didn't want to know.

"I couldn't help but notice that you didn't actually **answer **my question!" Kallen's grin returned.

"Why do you want to know such a thing?" he asked as his grin dropped and he stopped to turn to her.

"Well I **am **a girl you know, we like to gossip. I know Shirley has the mad-cooties for you, this could be a good way to torture her." Kallen smiled.

To Lelouch who was sued to seeing her as Zero, this was odd behavior.

"You're being awfully **cute **for someone who's a rebel-terrorist." He turned back around. He blushed instantly at the word he'd just used. Kallen's lower lip trembled slightly for a moment before she regained control of herself. The Emperor of Britannia just called her 'cute', how else was she supposed to react?

"Alright, what's the name of the guy you're looking for again?" she said in her usually Black-Knight voice. This was her rougher-side that he was accustomed to seeing.

"He only went by his initials, V.V." Lelouch explained calmly as the light-moment passed.

"Not V.V.B?" Kallen asked.

"I don't think so." Lelouch began. "He's like C.C. I guess, he's-" Lelouch's voice ceased immediately.

'_He's like C.C.! What if he had Geass?_' Lelouch's mind reeled.

"What's wrong?" Kallen asked confused.

"Be careful, this V.V. could have Geass." Lelouch warned her darkly.

"What makes you think that?" Kallen asked.

"C.C., V.V. It makes sense, doesn't it?" he frowned.

"Well he's gotta have a real name, right? Doesn't C.C. have one?" she asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

"Hey, here's a section called 'Holy Imperial Family'!" Kallen exclaimed as she turned down the aisle quickly and began looking for any V's. Lelouch followed her and without fail found a V.V. before Kallen could.

He picked up the file and opened it. He scanned it quickly, but it wasn't the document he needed. It mentioned nothing about a V.V. or Charles having a brother. He was about to put it back in its spot, but a lever underneath where the file should go caught his eye. He pulled on the lever and the back panel dropped down to reveal a book. Lelouch pulled it out and opened it immediately. He flipped through every page, but it wasn't until the very last page that a picture fell out of the book. Kallen bent down and picked it up. It was of two boys hugging awkwardly. One had light brown hair and the other long bright blonde. She flipped it over and she immediately tugged on Lelouch's' sleeve. He glanced over her shoulder at the back of the photo that had writing on it.

"**To my dear sons Charles and Victor,**

**You two are my pride and joy, the reason I breathe air on this beautiful planet. The day you two were born your mother and I told the kingdom of Britannia "Behold, our Kings have been birthed of gold shed by the heavens!". May you two share the throne like brothers. The most beautiful bond in the world is that of loyal siblings.**

**Love, your ever proud father, Zarek"**

"So his name is Victor." Lelouch said as Kallen handed him the photograph. He put it away in his breast pocket then continued to scan through the book again. The name Zarek and Charles continued to appear all over the pages of the book, but not once did the name Victor. Lelouch closed the book and put it away,

"Do you think he died?" Kallen asked almost sadly.

"I don't know. Ruben spoke of him as if he were alive, but there's no mentioning of him ever having been born, lived or died. It's like he appeared out of thin air and disappeared.

"Or maybe you're not looking in the right places." Came the voice of C.C. from behind them. She was garbed in her usual white outfit that Lelouch had found her in when they first met.

"You came after all?" Lelouch asked coolly as the witch approached him.

"I told you I didn't want to be left all alone in that empty palace." She smirked at him and walked passed him. "Follow me." She sighed sarcastically. "You're lucky you found that picture in this aisle. It's the only mentioning of V.V. in it."

Lelouch and Kallen followed her for what seemed like several minutes before they reached the back side of the vault. She stopped before a massive painting.

"Do you see this painting of Marianne?" C.C. asked.

"Of my mother? That looks **nothing **like her." Lelouch scowled.

"Wh-what? It looks exactly like her!" C.C. said surprised at how stingy Lelouch was being.

"My mother died young, with Black hair; and as a **woman**." Lelouch retorted.

"But…." C.C. blinked. "But this **is **a young woman with black hair…" C.C. shook her head.

"Not to interrupt you C.C., but it's an old man." Kallen interjected.

"I see what's going on here." C.C. chuckled deeply. "Never mind the painting, it's what's behind it that's important." The woman chided. C.C. lifted the painting off the wall and set it down gently on the ground to reveal a vault on the wall. She twisted the nob several times before it popped open. She reached her hand inside and frowned when she felt nothing inside.

"She must have removed it before she died." The lime woman frowned and closed the tiny door.

"What was in there?" Lelouch asked as he watched C.C. rehang the painting that was now of his mother as opposed to an old man.

"The painting…it changed…" Kallen blurted out.

"She had a diary in there." C.C. ignored Kallen.

"Of what?" Lelouch asked, completely disregarding the painting's sudden change.

"Her personal life of course. What else do you write in a diary?" C.C. said smugly.

A small red and blue flashing arrow appeared beside C.C. pointing to the left. Both Kallen and Lelouch immediately brushed passed C.C. to chase it. C.C. stood back and stared at the two in absolute confusion. She hadn't noticed the arrow and thus had no idea what had gotten into them. She remained standing by the painting as the two vanished.

"Hello, C.C." a childlike voice came from behind her. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Hello, V.V." she smiled softly.

Lelouch and Kallen were now half-way across the vault chasing the flashing arrow that stopped abruptly to make a right turn. This led them even further into the vault and even further away from C.C. and V.V.. After having chased the blasted arrow for over a full minute it finally stopped before a vault large enough to fit a human body inside of it. Lelouch and Kallen approached it and awaited the arrow's next command.

"What do you think it wants this time?" Kallen asked.

"Don't know." Lelouch said stoically.

"Show us what you want!" Kallen called out bravely.

"**17 – 84 – 92 – 37 – 21" **appeared the words in the air.

"It's the code to this vault, isn't it?" Lelouch basically asked himself as he approached the vault and twisted the code into the knob.

The vault's door swung open to reveal stacks and stacks of papers and books. Among the many files was a briefcase, miscellaneous unopened boxes and paintings. Lelouch began to pull out the briefcase and open it. The arrow reappeared and pointed to a book lying on the top shelf. Kallen got on her tip-toes and reached for it, but she wasn't tall enough. Lelouch leaned up and grabbed it for her; in the process their hands glided against one another elegantly. Kallen blushed and retracted her hand and held it in her other hand shyly. Lelouch resisted the blush he felt coming on and got back to business. He set the briefcase down and focused on the old, dusty book.

"It's my mother's diary. I wonder why it was in here instead of the vault behind the painting like C.C. said it'd be in." Lelouch commented as he opened the diary to the first page.

"**January 9****th****, 1996**

**This is my fourth diary in my life-time. I am Marianne Lamperouge and I am a young woman in the Britannian army. I am but a soldier now, but I am to be promoted tomorrow evening at a grand ball in which I shall meet his royal highness, Emperor Charles Zi Britannia. I may only be a sixteen year old lady, but I was given one of the highest honors in this world!"**

Lelouch stopped reading the first page and flipped a few pages ahead.

"**March 19****th****, 1996**

**I have left Yoshihiro Enkou for good. Darling Charles has promised me that he will erase that wretched man's memories soon! I am in woe, for the secret I now bare in unknown even to his majesty. I dare not even write it to you, my only truth, my diary. I must hide myself away for the next year to come. I will spend this year alone and without human contact. Charles, my love, has given me a small fortune to live off of upon my request that I become his consort wife in the following spring when I return to him. I may have died inside in Japan, but I will be brought back to life in the mainland where my king awaits me!**

**Oh Charles, our dream will come to fruition soon! Until the day you hold me in your strong arms again I will be thinking of you, and you only, at my bedside."**

Lelouch stopped reading there, he didn't want to read too much into his mother's relationship with his father.

"What do you think her secret was?" Kallen asked. She had been reading over Lelouchs' shoulder.

"Who knows, but it must've been awful if she couldn't even tell my father." He frowned and turned the page a few more times.

"**December 5****th****, 2000**

**My first born son! I had named him Lelouch in honor of my long-deceased brother. When I have a daughter I shall name her after my mother, Natalie. I wish to also bear another son in my lifetime. Lelouch may not serve his duty to me properly, so I shall create a back-up. Children can be so disobedient and defiant, I will raise Lelouch and the other children I will be sure to bear properly.**

**I digress; I should have named him Lelouche, like my brother's name was spelled. Charles told me he didn't like the name at all, so I doctored the spelling .Regardless, I loved my brother dearly. With the future of my life now on the correct horizon I think I shall live on forever, wearing the mask of a mother."**

"The mask of a mother?" Lelouch questioned deeply

"Come on, she was like twenty when she wrote that! She was probably young and eager." Kallen tried to reason.

The flashing arrow then tried to direct Lelouch back a couple of pages. He obliged and turn two pages backwards in which he began to read the page that the arrow now obsessed over.

"**March 14****th****, 1997**

**It has been done. I have served my time alone and now I discard my evidence. I loathe my own body at this moment, for it has betrayed me. For that, I shall abandon it someday. Charles my love, when I rush into your arms again this Spring we shall eradicate me of my sins and repent together. I cannot wait for experiment B to begin! A was a total failure, not that I intended to start it in the first place. I used my Geass on him and it was a total waste of time!"**

"**Geass?! My mother had Geass?!"** Lelouch instantly became frightened and his pupils dilated.

"K-keep reading!" Kallen shouted as she pulled the book downward so she could better read it.

"**I forever scorn the title I have given him. For it is the name of the name I hated so much as a child. Forever in this world that I exist, he shall be my foe and yet at the same time he will not even exist. In my heart I know my true place in this world, it is not with him. His last name set ablaze will forever leave a burn on my body; inside my womb of creation."**

"Such deep thoughts, it's almost like sad poetry." Kallen frowned.

"I don't like the way she worded this. She knew she couldn't write the truth inside this book. She probably knew that someday someone would read it and unveil whatever **sin **she committed. My father probably erased someone's memories to cover it up, but who?" Lelouch thought out loud. Kallen could only give him a sympathetic look.

Lelouch looked back into the vault and closed the book. With the arrow no longer anywhere in sight Lelouch opened the briefcase to look for more clues. The only thing he wound up finding was a photograph of Yoshihiro Enkou with his arms around Marianne. Lelouch put the photo in the same pocket as Charles and Victor. He tossed the briefcase aside and began to go through the stacks of papers inside the vault. He paused in realization and pulled the photo back out.

"Why is he holding my mother so….so…." he squinted at the picture.

"Maybe it was the affair?" Kallen furrowed her eyebrows at the surprisingly dense Lelouch.

"Oh, right…" he said and put the photo away again.

"Lelouch." C.C. said from behind him.

"What?" Lelouch asked ignorantly without turning around to greet her.

"This is who you're looking for." She said flatly. Lelouch stopped his rummaging and turned around abruptly to face her to see a young boy with incredibly long blonde hair.

"Hello Marianne's son. I am V.V." he said in his tiny, trembling voice.

"Y-you're….V.V.?" Lelouch stuttered, he was expecting an old man, not a small boy.

"Yes, and I am your uncle." The boy said gently.

"V.V." C.C. started with a smile. "Why don't you tell Lelouch what you told me?" she encouraged as she kneeled down beside him and patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright." The boy sighed and looked to the ground sheepishly. "I am Charles's twin brother. I appear this young because I became immortal when I was ten years old. I loved my brother….I loved….him…" tears welled up in the boy's eyes and began to fall gently.

Lelouch normally wouldn't scowl at a crying child, but he figured it was either an act to catch him off guard or to butter him up for a sob story. C.C. felt the resentment in Lelouch's eyes.

"V.V., do as I told you." She instructed a bit more sternly.

"Okay…." The boy sniffled. "I was supposed to be Emperor….Charles told me **I **was going to be the Emperor…." He sobbed like the child he was.

"I don't know why father left me as the Emperor, but I'm not handing it over to you." Lelouch said uncaringly and rather rudely.

"I don't' care…ahhhh…" the boy moaned in agony. "I want my b-brother baaaaack!" he cried out miserably. Lelouch's angry scowl fell into a small frown.

"What illness exactly did my father have?" he asked mainly towards C.C.

"He had cancer of the brain I believe. V.V. didn't get to visit him the day he died. He never got to say goodbye…" C.C. explained with a sympathetic expression.

"I wanna go see Charles…" V.V. whined softly.

"Then complete your contract with someone." She recommended. "If you do that then you can go see Charles inside the realm of C." she smiled sweetly at the teary-eyed boy.

"I know….but I…" the boy looked down at him small feet. "I want to complete our dream first."

"Let **us **take care of that." C.C. frowned again.

"**I **wanna do it!" V.V. stomped his foot angrily.

"For an old man you sure are childish." Lelouch scorned him. "Before you die or do anything, I want answers." Lelouch said harshly. V.V. looked up into the face of unforgiving hatred. "Who killed my mother, and why?" he asked intensely.

"Marianne?" V.V. asked timidly. Inside V.V.'s mind he had two options. Lie and claim he had no idea, or confess and have Lelouch murder him. He wasn't sure which one he wanted more.

"I'll tell you, on one condition." V.V. said as he wiped his eyes of his tears.

"Tell me." Lelouch demanded.

"Complete the dream me and my brother shared, do that and I'll tell you what happened to Marianne." V.V. said shyly.

"What was your dream?" Lelouch asked coldly. He knew anything his father could have wanted was nothing but pure evil incarnate.

"To destroy **God**!" He said suddenly energetic.

Both Kallen and Lelouch double backwards and made faces of disbelief.

"It's true! Me and Charles wanted to defeat God! We were sick of the way everyone was lying to one another! We made a vow to never lie to each other in this world! We'd go to the Sword of Akasha and use the seven Geass Thought Elevators to destroy God!" V.V. said with vigor.

"What _exactly _do you mean by **destroy God**?" Lelouch asked in absolute denial.

"It's the realm of C. The collective unconscious of humanity. Destroy it and the world will become completed. Destroy the god and unity the dead and the living as one being. All of humanity will become one being, a being that cannot lie or betray!" V.V. explained.

"C.C., that the **hell **is he talking about?" Lelouch groaned, it sounded like a plan a child would invent in their head.

"There are seven thought elevators scattered across the world. Activate all seven, get two codes and go into the Sword of Akasha. He who possesses two codes will have control over **God**. You may destroy the realm of the dead or unite them. The possibilities are limitless." C.C. explained calmly.

"Sounds interesting, very well, I accept your proposal, **V.V.."** Lelouch said boldly. Kallen made a slight noise, but Lelouch ignored her.

"Thank you." The blonde boy smiled. "I'm ready to perish now. I will await you in the Sword of Akasha." V.V. turned to walk away, but Lelouch stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

"You need to tell me what happened to my mother." Lelouch demanded. V.V. frowned.

"I'll tell you inside the-"

"No, **now**!" Lelouch roared. V.V. turned around slowly and took a deep breath.

"Fine." He exhaled. "I did it."

Lelouch let go of the boy's small shoulder and backed up in dismay. He looked at the child with both hatred and sadness. "But…why?!" He bellowed with a mixture of feelings. He became a cocktail of adrenaline, tears and pure rage.

"Me and my brother Charles both promised one another that we'd never lie to each other. He told me we'd be together until the day he died. Marianne interfered; she was the first and only woman he'd ever loved. He began focusing on **her** too much. After she gave birth to her three children with my brother-"

"**Three children?" **Lelouch's expression went from rage and sadness to a dark haze of demonic power.

"Yes, she bore three children from Charles. One of which was removed from the royal family at birth. I've only met him once and I don't know where he is now. He may be dead for all I know." V.V. explained.

"**He lives!" **read the words written above V.V.'s head. Lelouch recognized the flashing red and blue lights from the mysterious arrow.

"The arrow claims he's alive!" Lelouch shook violently with pure emotion. "Tell me every scrap of information you know!" Lelouch grabbed the boy by the collar of his neck and hoisted him in the air.

"Lelouch!" Kallen called out and tugged on his arms. "He's just a kid!" she pleaded.

"Bullshit! He's over sixty years old and he's immortal! He's no kid!" Lelouch grit his teeth and glared at the child in his grasp.

"I told you, I don't know where he is." V.V. said calmly. He struggled very slightly in Lelouch's grasp, but didn't' flail much.

"What's his name? When was the last time you saw him! How old is he? What does he look like?" these were just a few of the many questioned Lelouch pelted out at V.V..

"I don't really know, I only met him once and it was at night outside! It was two years ago and it was raining!" V.V. said as he finally began to wrath in Lelouch's hold. Lelouch unceremoniously tossed the boy back on the ground where he collapsed.

"What **else **aren't you telling me?" Lelouch growled at him.

"That's all I know, I swear!" V.V. crawled away from the enraged Emperor. "Just meet me in the Sword of Akasha! C.C. will guide you there!" the boy shouted behind himself as he took off running.

"C.C., where is this place?" Lelouch asked as he returned to his stoic self.

"It's in the mainland. Nowhere near here. I wouldn't worry about it for now. He'll likely stay inside the Sword of Akasha until you get there." C.C. told the now calm Emperor. Kallen felt so useless, she was now a third wheel with no purpose.

"I guess I'll…go back to my room now." The redhead said quietly. She sensed that Lelouch and C.C. needed some time alone to talk and that Lelouch would spoon feed her the information later.

"Go ahead." Lelouch mumbled.

As Kallen left, C.C. agreed to tell Lelouch more detail the next day after he'd had some time to calm down and rest. Lelouch picked up the scattered papers and closed the vault door. He walked passed a very oddly smiling C.C. who was staring into an empty aisle. "C.C.?" he questioned. She waved her hand a couple of times and began walking out of the massive vault with a small smile on her face. Lelouch looked all around and saw nothing but shelves and files all around. He disregarded the oddity of the situation and followed behind C.C. by a few feet.

The arrow then reappeared and Lelouch began to follow it again alone. As C.C. left the vault entirely and returned to her bedroom Lelouch walked casually behind the floating arrow. He again pondered the existence of such a thing until it pointed at a file on a shelf. Lelouch complied and pulled it off the shelf. Upon opening the file his eyes widened. It was a photo of C.C. in black and white. She wore a tattered maid's outfit and her hair was scraggly. A name was written on the bottom right corner and Lelouch smirk.

"Thank you, mysterious arrow." He chuckled softly.

"**You're welcome." **It read.

_**XxXxXxX The Next Morning XxXxXxX**_

"Those who want to live, let them fight; and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live!" Cornelia shouted into her microphone aggressively.

The audience cheered and screamed. The entire city of Pendragon was in an uproar. The world had never seen a riot this large since the German incidents of the thirties.

"Britannia! I shall rid you of the demon Emperor who is trying to tear our very way of living apart! If you wish me to restore our beloved Britannia back to its former glory then join me in battle against Lelouch! Together we shall reclaim this empire and as your Empress I shall guide us into the future! **All hail Britannia!**" Cornelia slammed her fist onto the podium, causing the microphone to give off slight feed-back.

"**ALL HAIL BRITANNAI!" **half the nation roared with power.

If they weren't at the rally in person, then they were before a television chanting. Over half the Britannian Empire was screaming at this moment. Cornelia had the entire world on the edge of its seat when she broke the news of a legitimate civil war breaking loose. Odysseus and the other siblings stood beside her on the stage as she rallied the nation's anger into her weapon. Back in Japan Lelouch, Nunnally and everyone else sat in the great room watching from the big screen. Even though Lelouch saw this coming the others did not. Shirley allowed a few tears to fall, her darling Lelou was going off to war; and possibly his death. The orangette got up from her seat and ran over to where Lelouch was sitting and plopped down next to him and grabbed ahold of his left arm to weep upon it. Lelouch didn't make any sign of acknowledgment that she was even there. Instead he kept his eyes glued onto the screen where his 'sister' made possible death-threats at him. He frowned ever so slightly, but other than that he let no emotion show. He allowed Shirley to continue crying on his shoulder as he picked up the remote with his right hand and muted the screen.

"No one panic. I have the army under my control. Her little _rebellion _won't get her very far." He assured his friends.

"Lelouch…" Milly frowned. He turned to the blonde with the somber expression. "You woke up awfully late this morning. You didn't see the new at six o'clock this morning, did you?" she asked dreary.

"No, why?" he asked as he felt his pulse rise. What hadn't he seen?

"Cornelia gained control of the** entire **mainland military. All you have is the area-colony branches." Milly told him and the room went entirely silent.

To Lelouch's friends, excluding Kallen and C.C., this was the final moment of judgment. Lelouch either surrendered to Cornelia and the world returned to the absolute **hell **it was before he took over…

…or Lelouch died.

"No!" Shirley shrieked miserably. Everyone turned to look at her. "I'd rather you go back to the way we were before this all started before you **died**!" she screamed into his arm.

He looked down at her with sympathy, but did not say anything.

"That's not going to happen." Kallen spoke up as she stood up from her seat across the room.

"Wha…?" Milly said dumbly.

"Tell them Lelouch; tell them about…." Kallen stopped herself for a moment. Lelouch allowed himself the first smirk of the day.

"About commissioning the Black Knights becoming part of my army?" he asked rhetorically.

Shirley ceased her sobbing and slowly lifted her head to look up at him with tear stained cheeks. Everyone else in the room remained silent and unmoving. It seemed like several moments before anyone broke the silence.

"But…. You're enemies…right?" Shirley asked timidly.

"No, not as of last night we're not. The Black Knights have been declared an official army branch of Britannia. They are now the Army of Japan of Britannia. Their General, Zero, will help the other branches that I remain in control of defeat Cornelia and retake Britannia." He explained then stood up and out of Shirley's now loose grasp.

"Are you serious? You ended the war with the Black Knights?" Rivalz asked amazed with his golden eyes open wide.

"Indeed. Now I have to give them a call for their first mission." Lelouch said stoically then exited the room.

He headed up to his office where he placed in a call to Ougi. He attacked the synthetic voice modulator just before the man picked up.

"Hello? Zero?" Ougi asked quickly.

"Ougi, this is Zero." Lelouch said strongly.

"Zero! Did you see the news?" Ougi shouted.

"Relax, I did. I just received word from Emperor Lelouch that we are to begin preparations to protect Japan from Cornelia's assault. We don't know if she's going to come to Japan this week or not, or if she'll wait for us to strike in the mainland. Emperor Lelouch is staying in Japan for now, so we won't be needing the new Float Systems yet. Tell everyone not to activate them until I give the order." He instructed.

"Yes! So do we have a strategy yet?" Ougi asked quickly.

"None yet. I need to study Cornelia a bit more before I can decide what she's going to do. I'll give a battle plan later today. For now just get the army ready for our first war as the Army of Japan of Britannia." Zero said then hung up before Ougi had a chance to reply.

"Lelouch!" Kallen knocked on the door loudly.

"Come in." he said and Kallen nearly broke down the door to get in.

"Lelouch, are the Knights of Round on your side or not? Because I don't think me and Suzaku can take down **all **of them alone!" she pleaded as she placed her hands onto Lelouch's desk.

"I don't know that much yet. I'm only just learning that I'm even going to war a few minutes ago." He said with a concerned expression.

'_To be honest, I haven't even thought about it yet. I don't know who all is on my side or not. Even armies that claim to be on my side could be traitors waiting to weaken my defenses….' _Lelouch thought in dismay.

"What should I do?" she asked frantically.

"Go back to the base as a Black Knight and become the ace pilot again. Zero will give you your instructions." He ordered.

"But I want to stay here and protect your personally!" she shuddered.

"Not necessary. I'll have Suzaku here. Besides, I think Gino and Anya liked me well enough to choose my side." He assured her.

For a moment Kallen gave Lelouch a very concerned and worried stare, but in the end she nodded and ran out of the office and back to the base to await Zero. After she left Ruben entered the room.

"Sire, you may need to make an emergency statement to the public! Make a rally of your own and fight back against Cornelia!" he begged.

"Alright, I will. But first I need you to type it up for me and have Milly get Nunnally the **hell **out of here. Send a small army and Anya Alstreim to protect her. Take them to…to…" Lelouch tried to think, but no safe place came to mind.

"We have those hover-stations we could have them stay in. The Avalon is a massive gunship with its own float system and defense shield. We could have you **and **Lady Nunnally aboard for protection!" Ruben suggested.

"No, just Nunnally. Make Sure Anya uses the Mordred to guard the outsides of the Avalon. Milly and yourself will stay inside along with my personal friends." Lelouch instructed.

"But sire…your own life!" the man racked his mind with thoughts of Lelouch's' possible death.

"Don't worry about me. I have my own protection." He said sternly. "Now go, give the order!"

"Yes my lord!" Ruben bowed then escaped from the office to retrieve his granddaughter.

"Milly!" the man shouted throughout the halls. "Milly where are you?" he yelled frantically.

"What Grandpa?" Milly asked surprisingly calmly. The man ran up to her and stopped in front of her.

"Gather Princess Nunnally and any belongings you'll need for a few days. We have to leave this place! It's Master Lelouch's orders!" Ruben shakily told his young granddaughter.

"Wh-what? Why?" she screeched in surprise.

"I don't' think this place is safe!" the man bellowed and ran over to Nunnally's wheel chair.

"Grandpa, let me worry about Nunnally! You go get…whatever it is that you're supposed to do!" Milly pulled him away from Nunnally.

"Everyone!" the man pleaded to everyone in the room. "Grab your belongings, we're going aboard one of the…the… We're going away from this place! We're getting out of here. Emperor Lelouch has ordered our evacuation into the Avalon!"

"What's the Avalon?" Lucina asked as she tilted her head.

"It's a massive flying gunship that will be guarded by a Knight of the Round!" the elder man exclaimed wildly. It seems as though in his old age the adrenaline was getting to him.

Everyone immediately packed most of their belongings and hauled it into a royal escort car where they were taken to the Avalon. Anya and Gino decided to stay and guard the Avalon while Suzaku attempted to guard Lelouch.

"Please let me help you Lelouch!" Suzaku nearly shouted.

"No, I'll be fine! You go protect Euphemia and Nunnally!" Lelouch retorted.

"But you're defenseless!" Suzaku sneered at his friend.

"I have Kallen, don't worry! Just go protect our friends!" the Emperor point to the door.

"No! You're stubborn! Kallen alone isn't enough to guard you personally!" Suzaku yelled.

"I'll have the Black Knights, the area-colony branches and a few Knights of the Round. I'll be okay!" Lelouch's voice hitched loudly.

"Lelouch please! If you die this world will **rot**!" Suzaku nearly whined, his voice cracking slightly. Lelouch's anger ceased.

"You're really **that **worked up? Fine then…. Here's what you can do." Lelouch began as he felt himself relax. Suzaku awaited his orders. "I have ordered the Black Knights to be on stand-by for orders. They're all ready to go should Cornelia's army arrive. Go to the Tokyo Bay at Pier Thirteen. Their base entrance is door Eleven-B. Just tell them I sent you to await orders and they'll let you in." Lelouch instructed.

"Thank you." Suzaku allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. There was **no chance in hell **he was abandoning his best friend at a time like this. Little to Suzaku's knowledge he wasn't going to be protecting **just **Lelouch. The Lancelot had been attached with a float system and thus he could simply fly over to the pier where he was allowed to hide with the Black Knights. Suzaku waited in the main office with Ougi, Tamaki, Inoue and surprisingly Kallen.

"You're a **Black Knight**?" Suzaku eyed Kallen mortified.

"Yes, and I've always been one." She said proudly. "Just…don't tell the others, okay?" she asked solemnly.

"Does **Lelouch **know this?" Suzaku frowned.

"Yes. He's known all along." She said stiffly and turned her back to him.

"Alright then, as long as he's aware." Suzaku sat down next to Ougi.

"So I saw the interview." Ougi began with a meek smile. Suzaku turned to the man in slight surprise. "You and his highness were close friends as children."

"You refer to him…as '_his highness'_?" Suzaku asked curiously and softly.

"Yes, Emperor Lelouch isn't like the other Britannians. He's kind and generous. He isn't mentally corrupt like the others are." Ougi gave a hopeful smile. Suzaku found himself smiling as well.

"His sisters Euphemia and Nunnally are even kinder than he." Suzaku said gently.

"I bet they are." Ougi said rather cheerful and poured two small cups of sake. He handed one to Suzaku and said, "Here's to protecting those two Princesses."

"I hear that, but I can't drink this. I don't want to be impaired for battle." Suzaku set the cup down on the table.

"I understand." Ougi smiled.

"Hey man, have you met Master Zero yet?" Tamaki laughed.

"Yes, don't you all remember rescuing me from my execution?" Suzaku laughed lightly at the drunken Black Knight.

"Oh…right…" Tamaki stopped laughing.

Zero entered the room and took a seat next to Kallen. "Alright everyone, we have our battle plans." Zero said and everyone stopped their chatter to look at him.

"Good, what's out first mode of defense? Are we going to guard the borders of Japan?" Ougi asked.

"No, we're going to fly in the clouds above the Britannian homeland and land directly in Pendragon on top of the castle." Zero said.

"**WHAT?!"** Everyone shouted in unison.

"Cornelia won't see it coming. We have float systems, she doesn't. She likely doesn't even know the technology exists. We'll land on the castle and take her, **alive**." Zero said as he tossed a file onto the table full of each bracket's orders.

"But, that's suicide!" Suzaku stammered.

"Not really, Cornelia is the type to get onto the battlefield and fight alongside her army. She won't be in the castle itself. We're going to take over the castle and she'll hightail it back to it to fight us. When she does we'll have her surrounded by the army that will be heading her way from behind." He explained.

"Ougi." Suzaku growled. "Is this how Zero **always **operates?"

"Yes, but it **always **gets us the results we want." Ougi assured him. Suzaku was skeptical, but then again not once did Britannia every truly win a battle against the Black Knights as individuals.

"Fine. Tell us our positions and whose control I'm under." Suzaku sighed in defeat.

"Mine. You'll obey **me**, Suzaku Kururugi." Zero said sternly. Suzaku mouth open slightly, but he closed it with no retort to defend himself with. "And don't' worry, Kallen, you and I are all going to guard Lelouch directly."

"Wait! Lelouch is going with us to the mainland?" Suzaku shot up out of his seat.

"Yes, he'll be going inside Pendragon castle." Zero explained as he too stood up.

"But why?" Kallen asked horrified. Lelouch going inside the castle would leave him nearly unguarded and endangered.

"He's going to sit on the throne of the Emperor for the first time and truly take hold of this country. When he does most of Cornelia's army will fall apart and rejoin us. He's also going to announce his latest law he's created." Zero explained as he walked towards the door.

"What **law?**" Suzaku asked.

"Exile to all those who oppose him." Zero said solemnly.


	4. The Emperor, The Witch and The Gun

**NOTICE: The quotes in this chapter are from 1=Ludwig Mises, 2=Martin Luther King Jr. and 3=Adolf Hitler.**

**No offence is meant towards anyone by any of these quotes. They are for story effect only.**

**COMMISSION: Named Heir**

**Chapter IV – The Emperor, The Witch and The Gun**

"**3**Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live!" Cornelia boldly exclaimed to the masses of Britannia. Everyone in the royal family, besides Lelouch, Nunnally, Schneizel and Euphemia, stood behind Cornelia at her podium. The people of Britannia gathered around Pendragon Castle in a massive rally.

"We need to remain strong if we are to defeat Lelouch and his unorthodox laws! **3**Strength lies not in defense, but in attack!" she screeched angrily. The world had never seen a woman as aggressive as she in this moment. "**3**The day I let Britannia fall into the hands of the soft and weak-hearted is the day I lay dead on the battlefield! My dear Britannians, hear my proclamation! Fight for me, fight for our precious Britannia! Should you be there by my side as we claim victory over Lelouch and reclaim the throne I shall give you power and honor!" she held her fist into the air as a true leader of Britannia. "Upon the moment of Lelouch's defeat I shall become your Empress! As I ascend the throne I shall restore Britannia and the area-number system as it **should **be!" she exclaimed as she roared into the microphone. "Lelouch freed the numbers only because he's soft, being soft in this harsh world won't get an empire far! **3**I don't see why man shouldn't be just as harsh as nature!" The homeland ate it up; only Emperor Charles had ever invoked this much crazy into the masses before. Lelouch, who was watching from Japan, knew full well he had to gather his allies while he still could.

"Ruben, organize my world-wide retaliation speech." He commanded and Ruben bowed before departing for his task. "I won't be going to school today." He said coldly.

Lelouch stood up and changed into his Emperor's outfit. He then stored the Zero uniform under his bed in a safe-locked floor vault. As soon as he'd returned home from the briefing in the Black Knight base he'd carelessly left the Zero costume in a suitcase on his bedroom floor. He knew **no one **was allowed into his room and thus felt safe, but he had invited Ruben into it in a moment of mishap memory. Luckily Ruben did not question the mysteriously out of place black suit case. Ruben fulfilled Lelouch's task and called him to inform him that the stage was set for him. Lelouch smirked and thanked the man over the phone before hanging up and exiting his room. He slowly made his way down the empty and hollow halls of the Tokyo Palace. He'd yet to return to the mainland once since the day he was exiled as a child, but today that would change. He'd make his move before Cornelia. He had C.C. wear the spare Zero outfit and lead the Black Knights to the borders of the mainland hours ago, but she'd return shortly. They should be at the borders already and high in the sky away from any radar-pick up perimeters. They hung around in the clouds, which was further than necessary, but they weren't taking any chances. The Avalon too stood in the clouds, but hovered over Japan rather than the Britannia borders.

Everyone aboard the Avalon was nervous; they were essentially inside of a Castle in the sky. They'd all been in helicopters, airplanes and Knightmare Frames, but never a floating building. Since there was limited space aboard the Avalon they had to share rooms. Shirley, Milly and Lucina in room one, Rivalz and Gino in another then Euphemia, Nunnally, Nina and Anya in the third. Among the other various soldiers and staff inside the Avalon was Schneizel. Not many knew why he decided to join Lelouch's side, only Lelouch knew it was because of his Geass command. Schneizel helped control the Avalon while the other royal staff piloted it. Gino and Anya did their best to guard the Avalon in the off-chance that it be attacked. They had a small army of Black Knights and another small troop of Britannian soldiers, but the masses of the main army were at the mainland Britannian border.

"Hiya!" came the cutesy voice of Kaguya from behind Lelouch.

"Kyaa…..!" Lelouch screeched in surprise as he turned around quickly to face her. She stared at him with her big, sparkling, emerald eyes, her cute button nose and pink thin lips. "Wh-what are you still doing here? Why didn't you get on the Avalon?!" Lelouch frowned morbidly. When he said 'close friends' he included Kaguya and Ruri Kozuki.

"I'm sorry, but Ruri-San felt badly about abandoning you for her own safety! I agreed so we both decided to stay behind to help rally Japan with you!" she beamed eagerly.

"N-no! Go get on a Knightmare Frame and get up to the Avalon, now!" he ordered. She pouted cutely.

"Aww! We invited a friend over just to help you and everything!" she sniffled.

"Wait, what **friend**?" Lelouch asked leery.

"Well, she's not here in person, but we have her on webcam and she'd like to talk to you!" Kaguya shook her arms excitedly.

"Who is she?" he asked calmly.

"A dear old friend of mine." She winked.

Kaguya lead Lelouch to her little office inside the Palace and flipped open the laptop and turned it towards Lelouch. "Say _Nihao!_'" Kaguya chirped as the screen revealed a young girl with white hair and red eyes.

"N-nihao…" Lelouch muttered out as he tried to remember the face of this girl. She looked oddly familiar, but he was drawing a blank. She was definitely Asian, and due to the greeting she was specifically Chinese.

'_No way….' _He thought in realization.

"Hello, I am Empress Tianzi of the Chinese Federation." She spoke in a tiny, but determined, voice.

"Hello there Empress Tianzi, I am Emperor Lelouch. What do I owe the honor of speaking to you?" he asked with a grin. This could potentially be an amazing moment, or it could spell disaster. The Chinese Federation didn't make itself known for randomly attacking other nations, but with Britannia in the chaotic state that it is in then they could be taking this as their chance to over-throw Britannia entirely.

"I wish to assist you!" the girl pleaded suddenly, which took Lelouch off guard a little.

"I'm grateful for you offer, but may I ask your motives?" he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Kaguya is a good friend of mine, and I liked Japan when it had its independence. If Cornelia defeats you and becomes Empress of Britannia then she'll enslave them again! I want to help you so that Japan will remain happy!" Tianzi said frantically. The distress was evident in her teary eyes.

"I'd be grateful for any help you're willing to offer, Empress." Lelouch smiled gently. Tianzi's smile grew wide with hope and excitment.

"What all do you need? I can tell the Chinese military to send equipment or soldiers!" she perked up immensely.

"Those both would be an extraordinary help, but what I really need is an entire army that I can control." He said now back to his usual stoic self.

"An army?" she questioned meekly. "I don't know if I can do that much, I only have so much power. The High Eunuchs are the ones who control almost everything. I'm limited in my situation." She dropped her shoulders and gave Lelouch an apologetic look.

"You're the Empress, you should be able to do anything you want to. Why are the High Eunuchs able to stop you from sending me an army?" he asked entirely confused as to how an Empress doesn't have control of her nation.

"Well I'm still very young and-"

"Irrelevant. Even if you were a toddler your command is your nation's order." He interrupted.

"Well, I'm not that great at politics yet and I might make some bad decisions. I asked them to help me-"

"Well that ends now. I'll make you a deal." He smirked. Jiang Lihua looked up to the Emperor hopefully.

"A deal?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, if I eradicate you of the High Eunuchs and restore your powers as Empress, will you send me the army I need?" he offered.

"You can do that?" she asked bewildered with wide, crimson eyes.

"I can. Just give the word." He grinned almost evilly.

"Do it! Please give me the power to help save Japan!" Tianzi shouted boldly.

"Alright then, the deal is sealed. Kaguya." Lelouch turned to the girl holding the laptop.

"Yes, my _**Emperor**_?" Kaguya asked cutely.

"Tell the Black Knights sector-one squad that they're going to China. You're the Viceroy of Japan, this is your duty right now. Have Zero, Kallen and Suzaku report in to me for further details." He ordered.

"Yes sir!" Kaguya saluted politically incorrectly and set the laptop down onto the desk and pranced out of the room.

"Thank you, Emperor Lelouch." Tianzi smiled.

"You're quite welcome, Empress Tianzi." He returned her smile. "If I were you I'd prepare to go on a trip for a few days, if not weeks."

"What? Why?" Tianzi's eyes transfixed on Lelouch's violet ones.

"From what I understand you've been in that Palace since birth and haven't stepped foot outside of it. Kaguya also told me that it was secretly your one true wish to see the outside world. How would you like to see it all; **from the sky**?" he asked eccentrically as Tianzi's ruby eyes lit up.

"I…I'd love to! But…." She paused and her excitement faded. "On one condition." She looked up at the Emperor with hope in her eyes.

"Just name it." Lelouch encouraged her.

"I get to bring Xingke with me!" she demanded.

"Who?" Lelouch's eyebrow quirked.

"He's my…my…personal assistant!" she blurted out with a huff.

"Very well then." He sighed, essentially this Xingke was the equivalent of Ruben to Lelouch. Little did Lelouch know, this man was as skilled as Kallen and Suzaku on the battlefield.

_**XxXxXxX**_

'_Damn him, damn that Lelouch.' _Cornelia thought as she sat back down in her posh lounge. She had just finished her speech and was attempting to think of ways to get control of Japan before the war.

'_If only I could cut a deal with the Black Knights. Or I could possibly…no that won't work…. The Black Knights would only fail me and betray me. How about calling in the special units…. No, they're ill-staffed and don't have many pilots ready. What am I supposed to do….if only I had some method of controlling Lelouch emotionally…. What if I kidnapped and held one of his friends hostage? No that won't' work either, they're all Britannian. I don't need to use Britannian hostages, it'll ruin my image…. What then? What do I do?' _she thought as she grew madder and redder by the moment.

"Well well, I see as though somebody has a _greasy _consciousness." Came the voice of a man.

"Who are you? How the hell did you get in here?" she stood up from her chair instantly.

"Well you see, my name is Mao. I'd like to make a deal with you." Came the grinning man from around the corner.

"Wh-what? What deal? Who are you?" she pulled out her gun from her pocket and pointed it at his head.

"My only name is Mao, I have no last name. I'm here to help you defeat Lelouch!" he said with a grin.

"You're Chinese, why should I trust you?" she asked coldly.

"I hold no allegiance to my national origins. The only thing I want is my woman; and she's entangled in the grasp of that **insufferable Lelouch**." He explained as he took the liberty of sitting down in a chair adjacent from Cornelia.

"Lelouch has someone hostage?" Cornelia asked immediately as she too sat back down, but never lowered her gun.

"Well not exactly, she's a friend of his. The one with long green hair, maybe you've seen her on the news. She and I are married and Lelouch has been trying to get her to marry him instead, but she hasn't said yes yet. You see, she's **madly **in love with me, but Lelouch is twisting her good consciousness by offering her money and status! I'm so in despair!" he faked woe as her placed his forearm onto his forehead and frowned extravagantly.

'_This man is two egg shells short of a picnic…..' _Cornelia thought with a scowl.

"Why on Earth are you trying to make this **my **problem?" Cornelia bitched at him with an uncaring scowl.

"Well for one I'd like to see Lelouch dead, simply-"

"Woah! Hold on now!" Cornelia screeched as she stood back up and cocked her gun loudly. "I have no intentions of killing my own little brother. I may threaten to harm him or have him imprisoned, but I will **not **tolerate a death threat!"

"My apologies. He doesn't **have **to die. I just thought it'd make a perfect stage for your ascending the throne as Empress." Mao grinned up at the woman fearlessly.

"Absolutely not! I will not kill someone I'd die for!" Cornelia shouted.

"Sister!" came a loud knocking on the door. "Big-sister! Is something wrong? Why are you yelling?"

"You just sit there while I talk to her." Cornelia commanded as she moved to the door and opened it without letting her gun's nozzle point away from the whack job man.

"Sister! Are you alright?" the pink haired Princess asked. Mao and the gun were hidden from her sights by the door.

"Yes Venus, I'm alright. Why don't you go get Zephne and head aboard the ship?" Cornelia suggested sweetly.

"No!" The pink haired girl shook her head as her light pink hair tossled around elegantly. "You're angry, you're upset! Who are you yelling at?" she asked with a pout.

"It's just a bad-businessman. Everything is alright." Cornelia smiled lovingly down at the young girl with light pink hair in pigtails.

"Big-sister, I…." the girl began again then looked down to the ground. "I want to join you in your fight to protect Zephne and Euphie!" she looked back up at Cornelia with her big purple eyes; the eyes that melted Cornelia's heart on the spot.

"I'm sorry honey." Cornelia began as she gently laid her hand atop the young Princess's head. "But you're far too young to help me. You and Zephne both need to go to the ship to take cover while I fight off the bad guys."

"No!" the girl shoved Cornelia's hand aside harshly. Cornelia's did a double-take; the gentle and frail Venus was defying her? "I'm gonna tell big brother Lelouch that he's being an _**asshole**_!"

Venus's white and pink figure turned around the corner and escaped from the baffled Cornelia's sights; leaving Cornelia with a frown. She'd made a mental note to teach little Venus about her recent fowl-language problem. She sighed and pulled her head back inside the room then closed the door. She turned around to see that Mao was no long in his seat. Instead he was across the room eyeing some photos on the wall. Cornelia scoffed at him and pulled out her cell phone. She send a quick text to Guilford then put the phone away. Without the gun ever having left the viewpoint of the Chinese-fruit cake she sat back down and crossed her legs. She cocked the gun again loudly enough to catch Mao's attention.

"This is your grandmother, isn't it?" he asked slyly.

"How the hell did you know **that**?" she asked.

"Wikipedia." He grinned then made a snarky laugh.

"Get out of this castle." She demanded.

"Are you sure you wanna just…let me go….when I know all of Lelouch's dirtiest secrets?" Mao chuckled menacingly.

"How would someone an infantile as **you **know anything about Lelouch's personal life?" she asked rudely.

"He was hiding amongst us commoners for years you know. I knew him, rather well actually. Better than most of his current friends." He chided as he approached her with hands making strange gestures. "You see Princess, when Lelouch first arrived in Japan, he swore to destroy Britannia! It's what he's doing now!" Mao laughed loudly at the astonished look on Cornelia's face.

"As where I'd be happy to hear legitimate proof to have Lelouch dethroned, what makes you think that **you're **a solid source of information? Friends or not, you could be lying for the sake of revenge." She frowned at the wild man.

"Oh but…I dare you to confront Lelouch with said accusations! He'll give you one of the darkest expressions a man could bare upon his face!" Mao said pleased with himself as he sat down again across from the gun pointing woman.

"Tell me more. If Lelouch reacts suspiciously to any of your accusations then I might come back and comply with your demands." She offered and finally lowered her gun, but did not sheath it or put it away.

"Alright, but I'll only give you a couple juicy ones!" Mao smirked. "Now listen." The grin on his face spread like the fire in his lies. "Lelouch's plan all along has been to destroy Britannia. When he was a boy he ran away from the throne because Emperor Charles wouldn't give him the title of Emperor. He slew his dear old precious mother, blinded his little sister as to not have a witness and then took her to Japan where he hatched a plan. He hid away as…..well that's another secret." Mao stopped himself and watched the expression on Cornelia's face.

"Le….Lelouch…. assassinated…Empress Marianne…." Cornelia's mouth hung open slightly upon breathing her words.

"Yes, and he's come back for the rest of the family as well. You're **dear sweet sister Euphie **is in his clutches right now; Nunnally as well. If Lelouch ordered their execution or-"

"**What else do you know**?!" Cornelia roared as she stood up which caused the coffee table to flip over. She grabbed Mao by the collar of his shirt and pressed her gun to his forehead.

Mao could read that she was incredibly unstable right now and he needed to get her to calm down.

"Listen, I know a lot of things, but right now you need to help me get that girl away from him. The one with the green hair, C.C.. She knows all of Lelouch's dark secrets, but she can't tell anyone them because he's threatening her as well! If you help me get those two separated then you can defeat Lelouch and free your sisters from him!" Mao said quickly and nervously.

"Tell me everything you know about what Lelouch is planning to do?" Cornelia spat in his face angrily.

"Calm down now! It's like I said-Augh!" he was cut off by the hilt of the gun hitting his head harshly.

"No excuses! Tell me now what he's going to do to Euphie and Nunnally!" she demanded.

"Alright! Alright!" Mao pleaded. _'Man, this chick is psycho when you mention Euphemia!' _he thought. "Lelouch is planning to use the area-colony armies to fight you. Now you're not evenly matched against him with all of Britannia's forces; you have the upper hand. All I know about what Lelouch is currently going to do is have his friends, including Euphemia and Nunnally, stay in the Avalon above Japan." Mao said shakily. C.C. was his entire world, but was this one attempt to get close to her worth his life? Possibly.

"What's the Avalon?" she asked as she pressed the nozzle into his forehead harder.

"It's uhh…ahhh….a flying ship…" he muttered out. Cornelia raised her gun to hit him again, but he pleaded for mercy. "No wait! It's true! Lelouch has access to all of the Britannian military weapons! They've developed the float systems! The Avalon really can fly! I swear!" he said fearfully as Cornelia lowered her gun and pressed it against his head again.

"Where is it? Where above Area Eleven is the Avalon?" she asked angrily.

"It flies around, it moves. It'll pass between Okinawa and Tokyo over and over again until the war ends. I think he thought something about hiding in clouds or…or….only following the clouds! His thoughts weren't clear then! It was too hard to hear just his thoughts!" Mao squeezed his eyes shut.

Cornelia gave the man an odd look and tossed him back into his seat. "What do you mean _his thoughts_? Did you read his damn diary or something?" she frowned in disappointment. "What do you mean you '_couldn't hear his thoughts clearly'_?" she asked pensively.

"I uhh… Well he was…. Recording his thoughts on audio, to replay and see if his plan had any holes. He was mumbling and….skipping parts though…. It's unclear where the Avalon exactly is, but I know this…" he stopped to inhale. "If you take me with you into battle I'll guide you!" He requested shakily.

"Absolutely **not**." She said sternly. "I'm going to detain you in the castle dungeon. You'll be held as a witness to a potential crime for now. If and when proof of your accusations come to fruition I'll come back to ask you more questions." She said hotly as Guilford knocked on the door requesting entrance. Cornelia allotted Guilford and Bartley into the room to cuff Mao.

"But…why can't you just take me with you into battle? I can pilot a knightmare! I know Lelouch's attack patterns and ideals! Why are you arresting me?!" he pleaded as he jittered his teeth.

"Because you wish for my precious brother's life. I cannot allow you to roam free. I won't forgive you for even mentioning Lelouch's death!" she exclaimed monarchal.

"Don't you want to become Empress? What would and wouldn't you do to become Empress of Britannia?" Mao asked as he tried to read her mind for answers, but it was incredibly hard to focus due to Guilford and Bartley being so close by.

"I wouldn't take a sibling's life." Was all the princess said before Guilford and Bartley took Mao to the underground prison cells.

The castle kept special prisons called 'The Pendragon Dungeon' underground the castle grounds for witnesses, criminals with information and top secret government official criminals. Mao was officially declared a criminal witness to the royal family and was put in solitary confinement for his attempt to sway a member of royalty into an assassination attempt on the Emperor. Even though Cornelia didn't approve of Lelouch's throne, she wouldn't stand for any threats or harm to come his way. She would however accept a deal to dethrone him mercilessly.

_**XxXxXxX**_

"Wh-what….on Earth…?" Kallen said thoughtlessly.

"China….?" Suzaku blurted out as he blinked several times.

"Yes, China." Zero said as he crossed his arms.

"But why?" Kallen asked as she gave her leader a perplexed expression.

Behind the mask Lelouch smirked. Zero leaned back and let loose a small laugh that echoed out of his mask. "Since it's just us three in this conversation, I'll tell you." Lelouch said from his office in the Tokyo Palace. He was disguised as Zero while making a three-way call conference between Kallen's Guren and Suzaku's Lancelot. Kallen and Suzaku sat in their cockpits baffled at their most recent orders. They were all waiting around the borders of Britannia when the call from Zero came in that they were to turn around and head straight for China.

"Master Zero, **please **give us some sort of instructions or explanation other than _'go to China'_!" Kallen pleaded.

"I'm with her on this one, tell us." Suzaku demanded.

"Right then." Zero began as his smirk dropped and he allowed the seriousness of the moment to enwrap his words. "Empress Tianzi of the Chinese Federation has made a deal with Emperor Lelouch. In exchange for sneaking into the Vermillion Forbidden City and executing the High Eunuchs she'll send us the entire Chinese army to help fight Britannia." Zero explained.

Kallen and Suzaku did a classic jaw drop followed by mumbles of disbelief and confusion.

"Is….is this true…?" Kallen asked herself, but was hoping Zero would answer her mostly-rhetorical question.

"Yes, and I need you both to do this. Since we can't send an entire army without the High Eunuchs noticing it'll be just you two. Empress Tianzi has sent in the blue prints of the city and where exactly you'll find those Eunuchs. Once you've slain them head to the main Palace to inform Empress Tianzi that the Chinese Federation is now hers to control." Zero ordered then sent the file containing the blue prints. "Her guardian Xingke will transport the Empress to the Avalon above Japan. I want you two to escort him there so he can find it easily. Report in with everyone there and make sure everything is still going smoothly aboard the Avalon. Immediately after that return to your position on the Britannian borders.

"Wait, why should we trust her?" Suzaku asked with grimace. "What if it's a trap to restore her power then never send that army? She could easily claim that it was a direct assassination attempt!"

"That won't happen!" Zero shouted. "Kaguya Sumeragi is childhood friends with both Empress Tianzi and Emperor Lelouch! Tianzi wouldn't betray the man that was helping her dearest friend's nation!"

"You're **that **confident in friendship?" Kallen asked astounded.

"Kallen." Suzaku said abruptly; suddenly changing his opinion entirely. He had a soft-spot for life-long friendship, especially when it came to Lelouch, Kaguya and Tianzi.

"Y-yes?" she asked slightly surprised that Suzaku had something to say to her.

"Let's go to China." He stated slightly enthused.

"A-alright, but… why the sudden change in opinion?" Kallen asked mystified.

"Kaguya is my cousin. Zero is right about Empress Tianzi never betraying her. Kaguya often spoke of Empress Tianzi as her closest friend. There's no way that she'd let her friend down. I had forgotten that they were friends, it'd been so long since I've heard from either of them…." Suzaku said with a bitter-sweet smile upon his otherwise solemn face. "Friendship is the strongest thing there is; it's a form of love. Kallen, let's do this!" he smiled up into the screen at her.

"R-right!" Kallen agreed now that she had a motive to understand.

The conference ended and they all disconnected their connections. Kallen and Suzaku stayed inside the clouds as they headed towards China. Lelouch back in his office took his helmet off and set it on his desk.

"That was quite a show." C.C. smiled from her seat across the room. He glanced at her, but only briefly. She was quick enough to get back from escorting the Black Knights to Britannia's borders as Zero.

"You should get going. Go to the Avalon." He commanded then stood up and went to his office closet.

"No." she said flatly and looked at him intensely. She stared intently at the back of his head until he turned around in surprise.

"What, why not?" he asked slightly taken back.

"I think I'll join you on the battle field." She said flatly as she changed her view point to the ceiling. The emotionless expression on the woman's face made Lelouch begin to wonder if she even took this war seriously.

"What's going on with you?" he asked as he closed the closet door and walked over to her to stand directly in front of her. She looked into his eyes and leaned forwards slightly.

"You and I have a contract, it'd be poor judgment if I let you go to war alone and die by yourself. I want to be by your side to protect you." She said flatly.

"No." he said then turned to go back to the closet. She grabbed his wrist and held him in place.

"I'm going with you." She said strongly. Lelouch frowned, but she couldn't see it because his back was to her.

"**Woman**…." He turned around and gave her a displeased scowl. "Go to the Avalon, I'll be fine without you."

"What makes you so confident?" she asked as she stood up and changed her grasp on him to a full-arm cuddle.

"I'll have the Black Knights, a fourth of the Britannian army, the Japanese Liberation Front, the Chinese army, the area-colony armies….. What could **you **possibly do that they can't?" he asked sourly.

Wordlessly C.C. pulled Lelouch to look at her directly in the eyes. She held the sides of his face and pulled him down so that their noses were almost touching. For several seconds they remained this way before she spoke.

"I'm going with you whether you like it or not. If you go without me then you're breaking our contract." She said sternly as she slightly squeezed the sides of his head.

"Y-you…" he grit his teeth and glared back down at her.

"I can protect you too, I'm immortal. You have no logical reason to keep me off that battlefield. If you're worried about me you're foolish. If you're scared I'll get kidnapped you're naïve. If you think I'll run away you're an ass." She frowned then pinched his cheeks. The sudden expression change on his pinched face made her let go.

"Fine." He sighed. "Only because I know even if I locked you up you'd find a way to escape and get back to me. But promise me one thing…" he turned around and walked back to the closet. "**Don't **let Cornelia see you. I have a horrible feeling that she knows what you are and will take you by force back to whatever experimentation lab you came from." He said tiresomely.

"You're naïve." The witch said casually. He made a noise of anger and quickly turned around to glare at her.

"**C.C**…." he muttered loudly.

"Hey, I warned you. If you think I'm going to get kidnapped then you're naïve." She smiled wittily at him.

"Woman, you're like the wind." He whispered softly to himself.

"The wind?" C.C. asked surprised from across the room.

'_Damnit! How did she hear me? She must have super-human hearing or something!' _he thought as he mentally punished himself.

"Yes, you're quite mysterious and not many people know exactly where you came from or what you are." He said poetically.

"I think I'm more like snow. I can't quite remember what color I am or what I'm supposed to do with my cold existence." She smiled bitterly.

To Lelouch this was a rare sight, C.C. was always mysterious; yet right now she seemed so **human **to him. It was as if she had transformed into a mortal upon speaking her chants about snow.

"Enough of the whimsical wishing nonsense; go get in a Knightmare Frame and head to either the Avalon or the battlefield." He said as he placed the Zero costume inside his large briefcase and strung it over his shoulder. He walked passed her and out of the door. She stood there for a moment contemplating what to do, but then an idea hit her. She smiled wickedly.

"Well then…Zero…" she whispered to the wind.

Lelouch exited the Palace with the Zero briefcase in hand and boarded a Knightmare Frame. He was going to his rally at the Tokyo broadcast center. He flew over to the site and parked the float system Knightmare Frame out of view of the press and left the suitcase inside the cockpit. He was wearing his usual white Emperor robes and a new hat. His old one was demolished by soy sauce; it now lay in his bedroom's dresser drawer alone for the sake of memories. He walked casually through the woods to the backside of the studio. He knew that the Emperor strolling through the woods of Japan all by himself was one of the oddest things to occur, but he embraced it. He knew that he himself being an Emperor of such odd policies was a rare occurrence. Lelouch moseyed into the small studio and stood by the door as he watched all the news cast members and staff run around in a tizzy. They were all getting reading to have Lelouch's speech air live at the outside stage.

"Ahh! Emperor Lelouch!" Ruben exclaimed happily and ran up to him. "I'm so glad you're here early!" the elderly man put an arm around the young god's shoulders and led him to a secluded meeting room.

"Thank you for having this arranged Ruben. Did you type up a speech for me?" Lelouch asked as he took a seat. As Ruben sat down next to him and opened his briefcase he couldn't help but notice the little bits of dirt and grass stains on Lelouch's white shoes.

"My lord, did you by any chance…." Ruben began as he leaned in closer to Lelouch's foot that was propped up from being cross-legged. "Walk here?" he finally added.

"Sort of." Lelouch closed his eyes and held out his hand awaiting to read his speech papers. "I did walk through the back door after-all."

"I'm so sorry! I thought you'd of taken the escort car that was waiting out front!" Ruben bowed instantly. Lelouch let out a small laugh and placed his hands on the shoulder of the older man.

"Relax, I chose not to take it for personal reasons. Just focus on the speech; where're my papers?" Lelouch asked now back into his usual tone.

"Y-yes, here they are." Ruben's trembling hands gave his Emperor the papers.

Lelouch scanned them over then frowned. He sighed in agony; these were **not **going to work. He handed the papers back and opened whatever laptop was sitting on the table and began to write his own speech. Ruben's included too many irrelevant points and not enough 'rally-power' for the area-colonies. He also needed to add the fact that the Chinese Federation was going to help them along with the Black Knights. Why Ruben excluded the Black Knights from his speech Lelouch would never know unless he asked, but now wasn't the time. At this very moment Lelouch typed his fastest in order to have the speech ready in time for the set-stage. He had less than a half hour before those curtains opened and he would present himself to the entire world. He knew he had to avoid both offending the other races as well as the Britannians; not to mention he had to drive home his point of an alliance. He expected his friends aboard the Avalon to be watching the news for his speech. He wanted to soothe their fears, along with those of the rest of the area-colonies. The last thing Lelouch needed was to worry about the mental status of his friends.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Euphie…" Nunnally began with a frown and a slight tremble down her frail back. Euphemia tilted her head slightly and made a noise of alertness.

"Yes Nunna-Chan?" the pink Princess asked.

"Is big-brother going to be mentioning the Avalon in his speech?" Nunnally asked worriedly.

"No, of course not!" Euphemia smiled nervously. "The whole point of us being here is to protect us! Why would he tell the whole world where we were?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm nervous. What if the clouds disappear and we're exposed to everyone down below?" she asked with another shake of her tiny body.

"Relax Nunna-Chan!" Milly kneeled down beside her and placed a hand on her cheek. Nunnally's hand reached up to cover up Milly's hand. "The fighting will all be in the mainland; we're in Japan! There's no way that they'll find us! Even if we were found, we have Gino and Anya here!" Milly smiled, but Nunnally couldn't see it.

"Not to mention we could always just move, this thing does **fly **you know?" Rivalz grinned.

"You seem happy for such an odd time like this." Milly furrowed her eye brows.

"Well, let's just say that Gino let me fly his Knightmare Frame last night! It was awesome! He said that if he got hurt in battle and couldn't pilot, he'd let **me **do it! So rad man!" the bluenette could hardly contain his fit of giggles.

"Rivalz!" Shirley huffed angrily. "Do you have any idea how **dangerous **that is! You could die!"

"Oh relax! Besides, I got a seventy-nine on the score board!" he gave the teen girl a thumbs up.

"What's a seventy-nine mean? What score board?" Milly asked dumbfounded.

"Well there's five categories, each have a maximum possible score of twenty. There's reaction time, piloting control, aim accuracy, weapon of choice usage and fighting spirit!" Rivalz grinned.

"Let me guess, the only twenty you got was on the fighting spirit, right?" Milly smirked.

"Of course! I got a fifteen on weapon of choice, a twelve on piloting control, a nineteen on reaction time and a thirteen on aim accuracy!" he beamed brightly.

"I don't know if that's something to brag about…." Milly sighed, Rivalz was hopeless.

"Actually it's damn impressive!" Gino chirped in. "When I first signed up to be a soldier, I only scored a forty-seven! Most people are lucky to get a fifty-five or sixty. This rookie of the year got a **seventy-nine**! It's almost legendary! The only person to ever score higher than a ninety on the test for the first time was Suzaku. Most people thought he'd cheated or was experienced with a Knightmare Frame, but I don't think so. I think he's just a natural. That guy is **amazing**!" Gino stroked his chin as he closed his eyes with a small smile; thinking of the legendary Suzaku Kururugi. "That guy could easily become a Knight of the Round if he sticks to his training!"

"Woah! Suzaku got a ninety!" Rivalz eyes lit up.

"So what you're saying is…" Milly stood up and walked over to Rivalz side and laid a hand on his shoulder. "He'll make an excellent pilot?" Milly smiled down at him.

"Yup! If he sticks by my side I'll show him the ropes and he'll be one hell of a soldier in no time!" Gino grinned up at the other blonde who had an odd look on her face. If Gino had to use one word that could describe Milly's facial expression, it was _wishful_.

"Well, as dangerous as it is… I say go for it." She smiled brightly at the blue haired boy.

"R-really?!" Rivalz jumped up and slammed his hands onto her shoulders roughly. Milly winced slightly, but ignored the rough act and simply nodded.

"Madame President! You're telling your friend to become a soldier?" Shirley cried out. "Don't you care if he gets hurt?"

"Of course I care if he gets hurt! This just might be his big break though! With a seventy-nine he could become a famous pilot or…or…" Milly stopped herself with a blush. She didn't want Rivalz to think she had an ulterior motive. She turned to Rivalz with a solemn expression. "I just want to see you be successful is all. If being a Knightmare Frame pilot is what you want, then I say go for it." She smiled genuinely at him. Rivalz's golden eyes got all big and teary as he pulled the blonde in for a hug. He began to whine 'thank you' and 'I'll do my best' over and over again.

"Just remember tootse!" He pulled away from the hug but kept his hands on her upper arms. "If I become a Knight of the Round, you'll go on a date with me!" he said sternly, but mostly jokingly.

"Of course!" Milly giggled and squirmed out of his grasp.

As the Avalon reached max-height in the clouds, they followed the drift of the winds as to keep hidden inside the clouds. Back at the studio Lelouch continued to write his speech, he had just a few minutes left. The biggest issue at hand however was Kallen and Suzaku who were on their way to China for an assassination attack. Suddenly, a black with gold trim Knightmare Frame closed in on them from behind. It bore the symbol of the Black Knights and swooshed in to situate itself between Kallen and Suzaku. Kallen opened the three-way chat with it and Suzaku.

"Who are you? You're obviously a new model with the float system, but I don't recognize you." Kallen frowned. Her grump faded when the mysterious new-comer accepted the video feed and revealed themselves to be Zero. "Master!" Kallen exclaimed slightly happily.

"Sorry I took so long to catch up. Emperor Lelouch held me back to tell me something important." Zero said.

"Is something wrong?" Kallen asked.

"No." C.C. chuckled behind the Zero mask. "Everything is fine. It's actually **better **than fine. If we can free Empress Tianzi then the Chinese Federation and Britannia can make an alliance which would leave Emperor Lelouch as the most powerful man in the world."

"He already is." Suzaku stated flatly. "Don't get me wrong, I agree that the Chinese Federation would make a great ally for us, but what sparked it all? Why so suddenly did this happen? Who decided this assassination?" Suzaku asked dimly.

"Good question." C.C. chided behind her mask. "Empress Tianzi did. She called Lelouch pleading for help and he's answering her prayers."

"That's an odd way of putting it." Suzaku stated.

"Well yes, Emperor Lelouch has a way with people. He wants the Chinese Federation for various reasons. One of them being is that if he frees Tianzi then he'll have her army to defend his reign. Another that I _**personally **_suspect is he wants the Empress as a _**consort wife**_." C.C. smirked proud of herself. She wasn't naïve, she knew the topic of marrying Tianzi would appear eventually, so why delay the inevitable? She figured the sooner word got out the sooner it would happen.

"Wh-what?!" Kallen blushed madly; Lelouch was turning into a letch!

"Zero, please keep your _**personal **_thoughts to yourself…" Suzaku groaned. To Suzaku the topic of Lelouch having consorts was amusing, but only in private with friends. When Zero spoke of it that's when it began to sound perverse.

As with what Emperor Charles did was have a hundred and eight consorts, some of which bore him a child or two; sometimes more. This gave him a massive selection of heirs to pick from to succeeded his throne. Even though C.C. had kept her mouth shut on the topic of Lelouch producing heirs, she agreed with it. It's the natural thing to do when in power; spread it. If Lelouch impregnated one, or more, of his female friends then he could declare that unborn child heir to the throne and there'd be nothing Cornelia could do about it. It was a fitting plan in the eyes of C.C. and Ruben. Lelouch however shied away from the topic and intended to keep such a personal issue to himself. Alas; Emperor Lelouch was a shy virgin boy.

"Back on topic!" Kallen made a face of disgust. "How are we executing this operation? Are we just gonna fly over the forbidden city, swoop in to pick up the Empress then kill the High Eunuchs? Where do they even stay? Are they all in one place?" Kallen began asking quickly.

"Here's the plan." C.C. began as she opened a blue print to share with their screens. "Empress Tianzi is in the main chamber of the Palace here. Then the High Eunuchs will all be gathered over on the East end of the city. Since no one outside of the High Eunuchs and the Empress are inside the city we can just bomb and annihilate the entire Eastern border." Zero said as each building flashed on Kallen and Suzaku's screens.

"Sounds simple enough. Aren't we taking the Empress with us though?" Kallen asked.

"Yes and no. She'll be following us as she'll be led by her own personal assistant. I believe his name is Xingke." C.C. added.

"Alright, as long as Empress Tianzi herself ordered this attack I'm fine with it." Suzaku said as he repositioned his grip on the handles of the Lancelot.

"We'll be flying over China in less than an hour, so keep an eye out for ships in the ocean below. The only thing we can do until we reach Vermillion is try to stay in the clouds." Zero said.

"Right." Suzaku and Kallen agreed.

_**XxXxXxX**_

The curtains were ready to open. The crowds waited patiently yet remained in a tizzy of excitement. The news crews had every camera pointed at the center stage where a podium stood with a solo microphone. Cornelia and her personal inner circle sat in their plush office as they watched their screens. Lelouch stood behind the curtains with his papers in hand; he was mentally preparing himself for possibly one of the greatest speeches he'd ever make in his lifetime as Emperor. Suddenly Ruben gave him a hand signal that meant that less than sixty-seconds remained before the curtains opened. Lelouch took several deep breathes and stretched his back during this time. Ruben gave the final ten seconds countdown. Lelouch put himself into his true persona that he usually reserved only for Zero. Today however he'd be the god-like king that he truly was. The timer hit **zero** and the curtains opened to reveal to him his beloved followers cheering and the world before him. He took the two steps up the stairs and walked casually onto the platform where he stood behind the podium. He swished his right hand out sideways as a command of silence before he raised his monarch voice in impending triumph.

"2**Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed! The Japanese man needs the Britannian man to free him of his fears; the Britannian man needs the Japanese man to free him of his guilt!"** Lelouch exclaimed into the microphone loudly with passion. The entire Japanese and Britannian masses of Tokyo cheered and screamed at their Emperor. Every area-colony owned by Britannia watched from their television screens and smart phones as their God spoke to them. "**Japan, Mexico and every other area-colony, I request your full attention!" **Lelouch said as he paused a moment to allow his followers to turn their volume up or readjust themselves. **"This is the official declaration of the area-colony system that will govern everything that calls itself an area-nation of Britannia! I already mentioned the royal and government houses of each nation is to be restored. I will now reveal who are the Viceroys of each nation. Japan of Britannia's Viceroy is Kaguya Sumeragi and Sub-Viceroy Ruri Kozuki with Prime Minister Kaname Ougi."**

"Wh-what?" Ougi's eyes widened in surprise. Tamaki jumped up and ran over to Ougi's side and slapped his hands on his shoulder harshly.

"Congrats, buddy!" Tamaki giggled.

"I didn't…accept that offer though…"Ougi said slowly as his eyes remained glued to the screen.

"Well, do you wanna do it?" Tamaki asked as he removed his hands from the taller man's shoulders and put them back into his pockets.

"Of course I do! But he never mentioned a word of it to me!" Ougi stammered as he fell back into his chair and slouched down. "I wonder if this is how Emperor Lelouch felt when the will of his father said that **he **was the next Emperor…" Ougi pondered out loud with a nervous laugh.

"Probably!" Tamaki chided.

"I need to speak with his majesty soon about this. As where I do accept the offer, I want to know what made him choose me of all people?" Ougi continued to stare at the screen.

"Maybe Zero recommended you?" Tamaki shrugged. Ougi jumped slightly in surprise.

"That's probably it; Master Zero told Emperor Lelouch to…promote me… I see now…" Ougi's shoulders slumped and he smiled softly. He then watched as Lelouch announced the other Viceroys of each nation.

"**Mexico of Britannia; Viceroy Princess Chezka and Sub-Viceroy Julio Estrada." **Lelouch said boldly.

"What the hell?!" Cornelia's eyes widened. "What on Earth does he mean by **Mexico**?" she frowned intensely.

"The lower half of the Britannian mainland. Centuries ago it was called Mexico before Britannia took it over." Guilford explained.

"I know **that**, but why is he _calling _it Mexico? It's part of the mainland! Is he separating that too?" Cornelia grit her teeth together.

For centuries Mexico remained enslaved, although not exactly by number, as an area-colony of Britannia. It's land was absorbed as part of the mainland of Britannia while its people were driven out or forced into manual labor and discrimination. It's royal house and entire way of governing was denounced as the Emperor of Britannia, at that time, took over. The royal family continued to hold their heads up high and practice their beliefs, even declaring their heirs "royalty", even if Britannia didn't acknowledge it. Today the current "Princess" is Chezka, she grew up being called a Princess, but never believed she'd ever truly be one.

Until today.

Chezka's ruby eyes attached themselves to the screen as tears began to cascade down her porcelain skin. Her short brown hair in buns was slightly unkempt from the tossing of her head as she whimpered in both dismay and joy. She was happy her nation was getting their country back, but upset that she would be forced to enter the realm of politics and true royalty. How Emperor Lelouch even knew Chezka existed remained a mystery to her and her family, but the hard fact remained that Lelouch had announced her existence to the world.

"I'm…the Princess of Mexico…" she whispered to herself. She was alone in her room sitting on her cotton bed in per pajamas. Her parents came running into the room and jumped into a hug with her. She was far less excited than they, but she returned the enormous glomp nonetheless. Their attention was turned back to the screen where Emperor Lelouch made his next announcement.

"**Viceroy of the Middle Eastern Federation; Aban Maymun." **Lelouch read off his paper. After many other nations were announced he finally came to the main point of his speech."**I'd like the undivided attention of not just Japan, but Britannia as well. As of today Japan of Britannia has its own army; the Black Knights. The Black Knights shall serve Japan of Britannia and myself."**

"My…..what…. How can this be?" Cornelia asked herself as her mouth hung open slightly. "We spent eight years fighting Area Eleven and almost an entire year with the Black Knights. How did he just win them over so easily?" she asked as Guilford shook his head.

At this moment the world seemed like it was heading for an unsettling war, the war that would change not just the map but the lives of everyone alive today. The future was being decided by this God's words.

"**Area nations, I request that you help me fight Cornelia! If she defeats me then your rights that you've only just gotten will be taken away again! Your names will be covered with numbers and lies! Help me protect you and everything you've spent all these years fighting for! 2We must live together as allies or perish alone as fools! Britannians, I have a request from you as well. 2There is no greater sin than simply standing aside and watching the tragedies of your fellow humans being tortured unjustly. The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people! 1The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. Cornelia is a shining example of such inhumane government! 1Modern society, based as it is on the division of labor, can only be preserved under the conditions of lasting peace! 1Sovereignty must not be used for inflicting harm on anyone; be it citizen or foreigner. ****1****Wars of aggression are popular nowadays with those nations convinced that only victory and conquest could improve their material well-being.****1To defeat the aggressors is not enough to make peace durable. The main thing is to discard the ideology that creates war." **Lelouch said as the masses stared at him before cheering loudly again.

Most of the 'bad' Britannians fled Japan and went back to the mainland to join Cornelia, so any pure Britannians left in Japan were likely anti-racist and liberal. This gained Lelouch the full effect of a happy audience as opposed to the 'mixed-feelings' he'd received upon his swearing in.

Most did find it rather odd that during Lelouch's few months reigning as Emperor that he never once went to the mainland, much less left Japan at all. His close friends understood his reasons; however the rest of the world remained baffled and misunderstanding. Cornelia half-wondered if he'd been brainwashed by the Yakuza or something. Regardless, in her mind Lelouch needed to be stopped and his laws reversed. He was sending Britannia down the path of collapsing. The ways of Britannia made them so powerful because it allowed them to conquer and control smaller nations, thus boosting their size. Lelouch was shrinking Britannia faster than it could ever be rebuilt. Not only did he release Japan almost entirely from the holds of Britannia, but now the other area-colonies were breaking free as well; even those that had been in control for hundreds of years.

"**Japan, Britannia, Mexico, the Middle Eastern Federation….. Everyone who calls themselves an area-nation of Britannia, head my call! If you fight alongside me against Cornelia's Britannia, then I shall defend your name and honor to the entire world. No longer will you be called a number as a servant of another race! Now that all eighteen area-nations have their governments and royalties restored we can finally let go of the past and move into the future! All those who wish to ascend into the future join me! Anyone who wishes to dwell on the past and wallow in the mistakes of mankind oppose me!" **Lelouch raised his arms into the air as a symbol of his high energy. Japan ate it up; it had been far too long since they had a leader they adored so dearly. Emperor Lelouch may not of been Japanese, or even Asian, but he was the closest thing to the old Japan they'd seen in nearly a decade. **"1All attempts to coerce the living will of human beings into the service of something they do not want must fail. The area-number system that Cornelia wants to implement will only further to destroy the world. I won't let Britannia hold the world back any longer! The only true path to the future lies within coming to an understanding of one another. 2Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend."**

To Cornelia, this line made little sense. An enemy was an enemy, why would you show them love or sympathy? Shirley however smiled timidly. She remembered how she came to liking Lelouch. She didn't care for him much at all; in fact she could barely stand him. He was her polar opposite. He was uncaring, bored and very tepid. It was rare for him to put much effort into anything he did; he lacked passion and charisma. The only thing he shed a smile for was his beloved Nunnally which seemed to be his one and only saving grace. It was until she witnessed him helping an elderly couple in a car accident that his true light came to fruition before her. He had a soft side, he had the ability to care for others unconditionally and he especially had **passion. **Lelouch was simply lazy in his daily life, but as the Emperor he was nearly a god. This speech was the passion she'd been trying to find in him again.

"**2Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Cornelia 's laws are an injustice to the entire world; to everyone who calls themselves a human being. 2Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude. Should Cornelia surrender now then I shall personally forgive her actions."**

"Forgive me, huh?" Cornelia snuffed in vein. She took the thought of forming some sort of agreement with Lelouch, but she ultimately realized that Lelouch's and her own ideas were far too different for any sort of treaty to work out.

"**Now is the time to establish the future world order!" **Lelouch roared powerfully as the crowd's excitement matched his volume. People holding signs and banners filled the front rows and people waving the flag of Japan of Britannia scattered throughout the back. Out of everyone cheering and screaming at Lelouch in the ecstasy of the moment there was one person who did nothing except stare. From the mid of the mass of people a lone thin figure-silhouette of a person turned around and moved about the masses. They eventually found their way out of the crowd and into the sidelines where significantly less people shrouded around. This person then turned their attention back to the pseudo-king at his podium preaching his beliefs.

"Future world order my **ass**…" the frail feminine voice said.

This person was rather short and feminine. She had a very flat chest cloaked in a thick winter jacket, long baggy pants with sunglasses and a hat to cover her hair. Her unstained lips frowned up at Lelouch from afar. She was standing on the edge of the East streets about a good block down the road from the news stage. Just far enough away to only be able to hear the crowd's cheering and not whole lot of Lelouch's blathering. She gave the tiny figure of Lelouch a disgusted glare. Turning on her heels she walked away and up to a nearby building. She slammed the door open and casually, but roughly, and staggered into the dank building. She walked up several flights of stairs and up to the rooftop where she stood on the edge of the building. She looked down at the ground about four stories down and then looked up at the massive crowd engulfing Lelouch's folktale of a speech. Out of the front pocket of her over-sized coat she pulled out a long pistol. It was old fashioned, but clearly updated with a special scope at the top. Normally any gun with a scope would be much longer than a hand-gun, but for this young girl it wasn't necessary.

"Asshole…." She whispered as she hoisted the gun upwards into the air. She cocked it and placed her left hand underneath it. Shakily she aimed it at the crowd as she scanned down at all the filthy Elevens that loitered the streets of Tokyo. As her small hands shook lightly from nerves her eyes teared up slightly. She paused to wipe the tears away quickly before returning the nozzle of the gun at the direction of his majesty.

"Asshole…" she said again in a breathy air of arrogance. She grit her teeth and braced herself. She knew her actions would forever change the world. She took several deep breathes as she peered through the scope to see Lelouch's head come into view. The vision through the scope shook around as her hands remained unsteady. She swallowed her fear and her heart to place her finger on the trigger of fate.

"A-…Asshole…!" she screeched as she pulled and the gun let loose an explosive shot that rocketed itself towards the Emperor.

"**My fellow Britannians, assist me-Augh!" **the loud shot rang out through the streets as the bullet pierced into Lelouch's flesh and bone. As soon as the red of the Emperor's blood was shed onto the stage floor the world was thrown into an emotional brawl. Lelouch's body fell behind the podium and many crew members flooded the stage managing to block the scene visually.

Shirley cried out in agony as Rival fell to his knees in disbelief and Euphemia trembled as tears began to pour upon her cheeks. C.C., Kallen and Suzaku had yet to hear the news and kept flying towards China as nearly the world flew into a fit of rage or joy. Nunnally couldn't see what was happening on the screen, but she had heard the loud sound of the gunfire and the screams and tears of her friends. Her forever closed eyes squeezed tight as she felt the warmth of sorrow pooling inside of her.

"Big….b-brother….?" She called out weakly. Her small hands grasped the handles of her wheelchair. She may not of seen it, but she sure heard it. The gunshot was an ominous and hellish force that echoed throughout everyone's televisions and ears.

"Oh Nunna-Chan!" Shirley draped herself over Nunnally from behind and let her forehead rest on the top of the girl's brunette head as he arms looped around her small shoulders. Nunnaly's right hand released the handle bar and went up to grip Shirley's arm tightly for emotional support.

"Sh-shirley, did it hit big…brother?" she asked through a shuddering sob.

Shirley said nothing except breakdown and slump down the backside of the wheelchair then to the floor in a mess. Milly kneeled down next to Shirley and embraced her tightly. Rivalz hands went to the floor as he pounded the marble tile with his enraged fist repeatedly. He groaned and grunted in an overwhelming sadness. He envisioned Lelouch's funeral, finishing high school without his best friend and the rest of his life without the only guy he'd ever be willing to smooch. Cornelia let out a horror-film worthy screech of surprise. Most of the royal family simply smirked or laughed lightly as Lelouch's lack of perimeter guarding. There should have been a sniper at every nook and cranny during **any **public event. Schneizel slumped his shoulders and closed his eyes in a silent prayer for his little brother's soul.

"**The only real sin is hatred and therefore the lack of sympathy and compassion in your actions." **Lelouch said as he grit his teeth and gripped the podium with his dwindling might. He pulled himself all the way up in a bloody mess and as an angered and very un-kindred spirit.

The girl with the gun standing on top of a building froze. She hit her target, but he remained standing; he continued to speak words of treason against the **real **Britannia. She must've missed the asshole's ticker by mere inches. She dropped the gun with a loud clank on the ground as she shook her head. She crossed her arms and gripped her upper arms tightly as she looked at the standing Emperor as he continued his speech. She lowered her head to look at her feet on the rocky rooftop. She knew she had to get out of there immediately, she'd soon be found; there was no time for a second attempt. As she turned she looked back up to the door the let loose a horrified shriek; someone was standing there watching her.

"So **this **is what you were going to do with mother's gun." The older woman said stoically.

"Big sister, please understand!" the younger girl pleaded as she took a step back. "It was for the sake of Britannia!"

"He is the **Emperor!** How could assassinating him be for the sake of Britannia?" the elder tried to reason.

"That…" she pointed to the stage that was in a frenzy. "…**asshole** was ruining our precious Britannia!" she screeched childishly.

"Mother would be so disappointed." The older woman sighed out miserably. "We're going back to the escort car **now**! Come here!" She tried to move towards the frightened gun-girl.

"N-no! I can't go back now!" the younger tried to turn to run away, but quickly remembered that she was high up on the roof. The girl felt backed unto a corner; frightened and instinctual. "I can't return….to the palace. Not like this!" she choked out through tears. "I failed my mission…. I won't get a second chance to free Britannia… I have to…to end this…" she said weakly as she bent down to pick the gun back up. She lifted it to hear own head and pointed it at her skull.

"No! Venus! It doesn't have to be like this!" the older woman cried out in horror.

"**Should the world continue in the path of hatred, it shall be consumed by hatred." **Boomed Lelouch's voice louder than ever from across the street. His words echoed in both the girls' minds. **"A world of war is no worse than the reality of hell itself."**

"Venus…can't you hear what brother Lelouch is saying?" the woman asked with tears.

"Yes but… It's not…" she took one quick glance back at the stage where she could see the shroud of people engulfing him. They were likely trying to get him to stop his speech to seek medical attention. "But that man is not Emperor." Venus frowned as she cocked the gun gently.

"Venus….Venus!" was all the woman could shout. She made a couple steps closer to her younger sister in hopes she might be able to quell her. "Little Venus, please! Please stop this! You're only twelve, why do you feel the need to kill?"

"Zephne, you'll never understand what father told me the day he died." Venus closed her eyes.

"Then tell me!" Zephne demanded. "Tell me what father told you! And in return I'll tell you what he told me!" she pleaded.

"You will?" Venus's purple eyes bled tears of sorrow as she spoke. Without removing the gun from her head she nodded as Zephne did. "He told me that Lelouch was to become Emperor so that he'll be assassinated. He even said that it'd be done by one of us." Venus said with a grimace. Zephne's violet eyes were transfixed on the stage now where Lelouch was continuing his speech.

"When father first learned he'd had less than six months to live he called each of us into his private room to tell us a different piece of information about Britannia." Zephne began as her sights lingered on Lelouch across the street. She knew it wasn't long before guards swarmed the building and arrested them both. "He told me that a woman named C.C. has the power to control the new Emperor. He said if I wanted to become Empress then I'd first have to find C.C. and kill her."

"That doesn't make any sense at all!" Venus gave her older sister a look of dismay.

"I never wanted to become Empress. I'm alright with being **just **a Princess. He knew this too. So why did he tell me to kill this C.C. woman?" Zephne pondered.

"You two! Freeze!" came a shouting man from behind. Venus' gun went from her head to point at the militant man blocking the only door to the rooftop.

"Oh no…it's the military!" Zephne whirled around to see the single man in uniform.

A loud shot rang out that was heard by all, including Lelouch. However it did not hit Lelouch this time. Zephne doubled over in agony as the clutched her sides; the bullet had hit her in the back. Within seconds she collapsed to the floor unconscious. The soldier then aimed his gun as Venus and was ready to fire, but Venus beat him to it. As the second shot pierced the man's skull he fell to the floor dead. To Venus it was amazing how easily she'd just taken two people's lives. She turned back around to see a helicopter flying towards her coming from Lelouch's direction. There was no more time to aim for Lelouch a second chance. She grit her teeth as she heard the footsteps of many soldiers running up the stairs towards the rooftop where she stood. In a panic she grabbed ahold her Zephne's underarms and dragged her motionless body across the rooftop and dropped her off the side. The lifeless Princess's corpse landed inside of a dumpster full of trash where the lid slammed shut on her.

Venus then jumped off the short two story building and landed onto the trashcan lid where she slid off and fell to the ground harshly. With a limp she staggered out of the alley and tossed the gun down a sewage drain. She could only hope that the helicopter hadn't seen her or identified her as Princess Venus. Luckily her disguise made her figure far too vague to be identified, but there were still eye witnesses and snap-photos of her. She trudged down the streets of Tokyo, slowly getting further and further away from Lelouch.

'_Forgive me Zephne, big sister. I love you! I promise Lelouch will pay for your death, it's all his fault! Asshole! Asshole! __**Asshole!**_' she thought as tears fell from her eyes as she limped into the city.

"**Asshole!**" she screeched with all her broken hatred.

"**Britannia! This is not just a civil war; this is a rebellion!" **Lelouch managed to bellow into the microphone before Ruben pulled him away to let the medical staff tend to him.

The crowd stood in horror, some screaming, some deathly mute. Most were glad to see that their Emperor had the cojones to continue his speech with a bullet in the chest, but at the same time they were also appalled that he was currently refusing medical attention.

"Lelouch! If you die here it's all over!" Ruben hissed into the raging Emperor's ear. "That gunman could shoot a second time if you stay up here, what's wrong with you?!"

Lelouch allowed himself to calm down; Ruben was absolutely right. If he stayed up on that podium any longer he'd either bleed to death or the assassin would shoot a second time. It wasn't until this moment that Lelouch felt any sort of physical pain or discomfort; he'd likely been in shock from the suddenness of the attack. He felt a demonic pressure in this upper left chest that extended to his shoulder and left arm. With his right arm he clutched his chest as sweat began to form on his forehead. It became rather hard to breathe and he coughed out a couple of times. Luckily he wasn't coughing up any blood and the bleeding wasn't as terrible as it seemed. Lelouch allowed the medics to put an oxygen mask on his face and lift him onto a stretcher. He was air lifted away immediately to the nearest hospital. Tokyo was in sheer mayhem; the royal guard cleared the streets of any human life and even closed down most buildings within the perimeter of the hospital. Lelouch was almost immediately anesthetized for surgery upon entering the hospital.

"Oh Milly! Will he be alright?!" Shirley screeched as she clutched the blonde's upper arms. Shirley sat on the floor behind Nunnally's wheel chair as Milly kneeled before her.

"Well…uhm.." Milly swallowed harshly as she quickly wiped a tear from her cheek. "He did seem to be….okay….when he finished the speech…" Milly said as she kept glancing at the television screen to see the action in downtown Tokyo.

As several emergency speakers filled in the speech on a minute by minute basis about Lelouch's status, Rival hogged the TV with all his might. The screen continued to replay the footage of exactly where on Lelouch's chest the bullet hit. Shirley couldn't bring herself to even watch it again, but Milly kept her eye keenly on Lelouch's chest. She saw it multiple times; she studied it. Milly went through high school with two options; law or medical. She did a little divvying in both fields and she knew enough to know that the bullet likely missed his heart and lungs. Based on the fact that Lelouch was able to speak well enough she knew the hit could not possibly of been in the lungs. Also the fact that he didn't collapse after over two minutes of standing proved that it didn't affect his heart.

"He'll be alright." Milly said boldly as she stood up out of Shirley's shaky grasp. Shirley's green eyes looked up at her President in horror. "It didn't hit anything vital; whoever shot him is an amateur and a terrible aim." Milly added with a leer at the screen. Rival looked back to see the stern and disconcerted look on Milly's face and felt a bit more at ease.

"_**This just in!" **_the television suddenly alarmed them. _**"A suspect was sighted two streets away from the rally! A young teenager in a white vest, baggy blue jeans and a ball cap was standing atop this building mere seconds after the first shot was fired!"**_

"**First **shot!?" Milly asked loudly. If the shot had to be called 'first', then it meant that there were more fired.

"_**It was also reported that during the chaos up on stage with his majesty Emperor Lelouch that a second shot was fired followed by a third. As of this very moment there is only one corpse on the rooftop of this building. The man was declared dead at the scene. He is identified immediately as Andrew Fenette; son of Joseph Fenette. He was reportedly standing guard over the East street of the rally when he saw a suspicious young girl on top of the building. He called in for back-up, but it just wasn't in time. The suspect is currently at large with no major leads. If you see this young teenager please contact our hotline."**_

The screen showed a picture of what appeared to be a young girl with bright hair stuffed up under a hat. She could not possible have been older than twelve or thirteen. Shirley let loose a scream that could pierce the human ear. Not only was her darling Lelou in limbo, but her older brother was now deceased. Shirley couldn't' think of a situation worse than this, her entire life had been built up upon adoring Lelouch and praising her brother's accomplishments. She crawled desperately over to Milly and latched onto her leg and unleashed a sob that broke the blonde's heart. She kneeled down again and cradled the girl in her arms. As she sat with the uncontrollable Shirley she reached up and grasped Nunnally's hand. Even though the young princess had kept quiet, she too was in absolute heart-break. Everyone kept the news channel on in hopes that more news of Lelouch's status would be aired, but after two grueling hours nothing had even been mentioned.

Cornelia had been watching the rally and was in utter dismay over having witnessed her own little brother's probable assassination. She began to reconsider the entire war at this moment. She bit her perfectly manicured nails to the quick. She jittered her teeth in anticipation of any news on her dearest brother's status. At one point she even walked over to the wall to hover over a rubbish bin when she became nauseous. Her hands shook slightly as her knees felt somewhat weak. She breathed deeply and sharply as she tried to focus on her biggest current issue; the assassin.

"I swear…" she muttered out through a pant of fear. This fear took hold of her words; it was the fear of losing a loved one. "I swear on my life as Princess of Britannia…." She continued.

"My lady?" Guilford questioned with great concern as he places a gentle hand on her back.

"I will **annihilate** whoever attempts to steal the life of my younger brother!" she hissed out as she allowed the first tear to fall and her first pounded against the wall before her.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

"Suzaku!" Euphemia screamed loudly. "Suzaku answer me!" The panic began to settle into the pits of Euphemia's stomach. This pit of agony, fear and pure adrenaline grew by the moment. With every button she pushed on the small phone the more her fingers trembled. She sunk to her knees once her legs finally gave out. She repeatedly dialed Suzaku's personal number, but to no avail.

Suzaku, Kallen and Zero were already at China's borders, thus largely out of range for any personal cell phones to work. They continued on with their mission completely unaware of the madness consuming the rest of the world.

"Suzaku! Kallen! Zero!" came the voice of Ougi through the Knightmare radio waves. Unfortunately China didn't have any towers or satellites for the Knightmare's radios to work out of either, so the entire message was choppy and staticy.

"Yes Ougi, we copy." Zero replied stoically.

"Hurry!" he said as his voice cracked like a child's.

"Why? What's wrong?" Suzaku asked pensively.

"The rally! It's over!" Ougi yelled out.

"So? It ended on time, didn't it?" Kallen's brow quirked.

"The rally-" the radio became staticy and began buzzing. "All troops are launch-"

"What?" Zero asked shortly.

"The war has begun! Emperor Lelou-chhhhttt!" it cut off again.

"Damnit China!" Zero hissed loudly as she tried a different channel. "Ougi, do you copy?"

"Get-bzzzt!"

Then the radio went silent.

"Damnit, I guess the rally invoked Cornelia to make her first move." Zero scoffed. "We'll have to proceed with the China-mission immediately. We haven't a moment to waste! Bomb the Eastern Vermillion City and grab the Empress!" Zero ordered.

Kallen and Suzaku complied, but all three of them remained oblivious to the hell going on across the sea.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

"_**Update on the Emperor Lelouch medical report!" **_The TV announced and everyone huddled around immediately. Euphemia bolted back from the corner of the room to the main couch. She grabbed onto Nunnally's other hand while Milly's remained with the other hand. Nunnally squeezed their hands tightly.

"Big brother…" she sighed weakly.

"_**Emperor Lelouch has come out of surgery, according to the medical report he is expected to live, but the damage may be immense. He has yet to wake up from the anesthesia and doctors haven't mentioned what vital organs were hit. We are expected to receive another update in less than two hours. Stay tuned for minute to minute updates on the current 'rebellion' that is ongoing inside Britannia."**_

Everyone took a breath of relief and a sigh of agony that had been held inside. Just because Lelouch survived surgery didn't mean he'd live through the aftermath or be able to remain Emperor. Nunnally let go of Milly and Euphemia's hands to clasp her hands together in prayer. The Black Knights had been in tears and turmoil, but now their fears were laid to rest; for the most part. Luckily Cornelia remained unaware of the Black Knights sitting in the sky just outside of the Britannian mainland. She allowed herself a few moments of thanking 'God' for saving her brother's life before continuing to construct a battle plan. Just because Lelouch was hospitalized doesn't mean she's won the war or that the battle was called off. She knew that this moment wasn't one of victory.

"_**We now have more shocking news of the Emperor Lelouch rally shooting!" **_the TV said and everyone immediately turned their attention to their screens.

"Is it about Lelouch?" Rivalz whined screeching.

"_**The body once identified as Andrew Fenette has gone missing. Secret Service announced that they had not removed the body from the scene yet, but while only three men were inspecting the situation the body suddenly vanished. Claims are being made that the body vanished into thin air. We are ready for- hold on….. Go to commercial!" **_the anchor shouted abruptly and the screen flashed to a commercial.

"What?! The body vanished?" Cornelia pondered from her chair in her office. "Are they sure he wasn't alive and didn't just get up and walk away?"

"That's a might strange…" Guilford commented.

"Fenette….Fenette…" Cornelia repeated softly as she remained deep in thought.

"Yes, Andrew Fenette was the son of Joseph Fenette. He is also the elder brother of one of Lelouch's girlfriends; Shirley Fenette." Guildford informed her.

"I thought so, the last name was incredibly familiar." Cornelia sighed.

Back at the Avalon Shirley had stood up and approached the TV with an unreadable expression. Milly and Rival began to worry about her state of mind. Milly walked up to Shirley from behind and embraced her gently.

"It'll be okay." The President whispered into Shirley's orange locks.

"He…disappeared…?" Shirley asked with a trembling voice. Milly lead Shirley to the couch where she made her sit down next to Euphemia. As Milly attempted to calm Shirley, a cell phone across the room began to ring; it was Shirley's. Milly figured it was Mrs. or Mr. Fenette calling to talk to Shirley about her brother. No one answered it and her phone went to voicemail.

Another couple hours passed and everyone was anxious. During the two hour wait they'd received two phone calls; one to personally inform them that Lelouch was alright for the most part; and the second was to tell Gino and Anya to be ready inside their Knightmares for battle should the war start suddenly. Gino and Anya sat in their cockpits with the hatches open. They talked about Lelouch and Suzaku for the most part, except when Gino would mention Kallen's physique.

"Hey Anya." Gino said as he leaned back and kicked his feet up onto the dash board.

"Yes?" was all she replied as her eyes remained focused on her digital diary.

"Do you think Suzaku has what it takes to be a Knight of the Round? Or Rival for that matter?" he asked with a wistful smile.

"No." she said flatly. Gino scoffed in her direction.

"You just got lucky and was born with all that natural talent, but Rival has it too! Especially that Suzaku!" Gino chuckled out loudly. "Suzaku was the only person to score a ninty-two! Rivals got a whopping seventy-nine! Emperor Lelouch has some kickass friends! I wish I could do some training with them sometime!" Gino giggled to himself basically.

"I wonder how well his highness pilots." Anya pondered stoically. Gino's laughter halted and a quizzical expression befell him.

"Emperor Lelouch in a Knightmare Frame….Hrmmmm…" Gino squinted his eyes at the small girl beside him.

As Gino thought about what score Lelouch could possibly get on the Knightmare Pilot's Exam, Zero and the others were wrapping up their mission in China.

"Empress Tianzi!" Zero called out from the open backside of her Knightmare Frame.

"Oh Zero! I wasn't expecting you to be the one to come for me! I thought Lady Kaguya told me that Emperor Lelouch was coming in person!" Tianzi said with slight worry.

"No, I don't think that was ever the case. Regardless, is your escort Xingke here?" Zero asked as she leapt elegantly from her Knightmare to the ground.

"Yes, he's getting in his Knightmare as well." The young Empress replied.

"_**Chhhzzzzt-All units-bzzzztttchhhhttt-" **_Came the static filled radio from Zero's cockpit. C.C. gave her Knightmare a glace, but dismissed it.

"Is your radio broken?" Tianzi asked.

"No, China has no towers for our specific radio signals." Zero answered as Xingke's Knightmare rolled up. It was a basic original style knightmare with no float system or any equivalency.

"Ahh, no float system I see." Zero smirked behind her mask. "You won't be escaping China in **that**."

Tianzi looked up at Xingke who was standing upright in his open hatch. He returned her worried glance.

"I was hoping you'd have that sorted out." Xingke frowned at the masked Zero.

"The inside of my cockpit is large enough to fit you both, just abandon that one and join me." Zero said as she turned and climbed up the rope ladder into her cockpit. She lowered the Knightmare's hand down and allowed Xingke and the Empress to climb on. The massive robotic hand then went around to the backside of the hatch and allowed them to climb aboard. Thankfully C.C. had swiped a double-decker Knightmare and there was seating for up to four inside the large cockpit.

"I must thank you, Zero, for helping Empress Tianzi's dream to finally be realized." Xingke bowed his head at Zero.

"You're most welcome, but it's Emperor Lelouch you should truly be thanking. He's the one who-"

"_**All units are to repo-chzzzzchhzzzzzttt"**_

Xingke and Tianzi's expressions changed to that of sorrow.

"I suppose we should return to Japan as quickly as possible. Who knows what Cornelia has already done in the time we've been gone." Zero said. "Kallen, Suzaku!" Zero called out as she opened the three-way video conference with them.

"Is there an issue Master Zero?" Kallen asked.

"I'm not sure, but the radio has been picking up some minor signals." C.C. explained.

"Ours too." Suzaku said as he flipped a couple switches in his cockpit. "I've got no signal as of right now, but it sounds like they're either recalling all troops back to Japan, or they're sending them all to begin attacking."

"I see now. You've all been out of radio contact for hours now. There's something you must all know." Xingke frowned.

"What is it?" Kallen asked as she landed her Knightmare next to Zero's and Suzaku followed suit. They'd just returned from assassinating the high Eunuchs.

"Before you all arrived here the rally was being aired live on the news; Emperor Lelouch was assassinated." Xingke said with a grimace, but he tried to retain his composure. Suzaku and Kallen's expressions changed dramatically. "I didn't get to see the whole broadcast before China's news station turned to your attacks on the Vermillion city, but Emperor Lelouch was shot in the chest during his rally. As soon as he was shot our news channels changed stories. I do not know what's become of Japan or Britannia at this time."

Kallen's tears immediately flowed freely. "Damnit…..damnit….damnit!" she choked out. Just when she thought the world stood a chance at peace….

"No! That can't be!" Suzaku's eyes too watered, but he refrained from crying entirely. "Who would… Who would want to do such a thing…" Suzaku's gaze turned down to the steering handles of his Knightmare.

"You're wrong!" C.C. said with the synthetic voice of the Zero mask. "I have a special connection with Emperor Lelouch; he is **not **dead!"

"How can you tell!?" Suzaku's eyebrows furrowed and he grit his teeth.

"I'll explain later, only Kallen knows it as of this moment." Zero answered as her Knightmare lifted off the ground.

'_I understand that Zero and Lelouch both got their Geass from C.C., but does that really mean they're connected? If so, then why can't I sense them? Maybe they signed the same contract together at the same time and I signed my own? Either way, I already know I can trust whatever Zero says.' _Kallen thought and she allowed herself to calm down.

"Suzaku!" Kallen said boldly. Suzaku only made a small noise to notify her that he was listening. He wasn't being arrogant, he was simply in shock. "Zero is right. Let's head back to Japan to find out more."

"We have to!" Suzaku agreed and he too lifted off the ground and began hovering over the Vermillion city.

They took off together as Empress Tianzi used Zero's Knightmare to make the formal statement to all of China that she was now in complete control of her nation. She also gave the command to send shipments of weapons, Knightmares and supplies directly to Japan for the battle at hand. China loved their Empress just like Japan adored Lelouch now. They were relieved that not only was Empress Tianzi finally free from her confines under the High Eunuchs, but that Britannia was not their ally. Japan's independence was always an interest of China's; they wouldn't let this opportunity slide. Behind the three flying Knightmares was China's shipments of supplies to Japan. C.C. as Zero helped Tianzi give orders to her people and organize her army. As they arrived in Japan Zero took Tianzi and Xingke straight to the Avalon while Suzaku and Kallen reported directly to the hospital.

"Kallen, I've just heard from a guard on station at the front entrance that Lelouch is expected to live!" he ran up to her with a huge smile. Kallen let out a sigh of relief. She'd cursed Xingke for his horrid wording and using the term 'assassinated'. She'll have to kick his ass for it later.

"I…" she began and Suzaku understood that it must be hard for her too. He placed he hands on her shoulders.

"As soon as the doctors let us in we can go talk to him. It's going to be alright!" Suzaku shook her shoulders gently as he smiled brightly.

"I know. I just wish I could have been there for him." She frowned up at him as yet another tear slid down her cheek. Suzaku slowly let go of her in realization. He laughed softly a single time before he bawled up his fist and pressed it to his mouth to keep from laughing any further. She gave him a suspicious glare. "What's so funny?" she hissed as she wiped her tear away.

"I'll tell you sometime, just not now." He laughed out and turned away from her.

"_So Lelouch." Suzaku spoke up as he laid down the first card. "Since she's not around….Do you and Kallen have a thing going on or something?" he asked with a small grin._

_"I…that is…uh….not exactly." Lelouch replied with an off expression. "What makes you even think that?" Lelouch evidently blushed._

_"You're always just skipping school on the same days. It's like you two plan it or something. As soon as Kallen would excuse herself from class and never come back you do the same. When she shows up late for morning class so do you. It's just like you two are hanging out together. Like just a little while ago as soon as Kallen went to the bathroom you got up and left as well; and for a long time at that!" Suzaku pointed out. Kallen noticed the look on Suzaku's face was rather happy and cheerful compared to how she usually sees him._

_"It's a coincidence! Speaking of Kallen, I wonder why she isn't back yet. Maybe she's gotten into…trouble…!" Lelouch said as obvious panic struck his voice._

_"See? You're__so__worried about her!" Suzaku grinned and pinched Lelouch's cheek. "You look so upset that she isn't here!"_

_The embarrassed look on Lelouch's face made Kallen's heart feel light and fluffy._

When she blinked she was returned to seeing Suzaku's back to her. She'd had another memory vision from her Geass. She figured the time frame in which the memory took place was at the night of the inauguration party. She blushed at what she'd just witnessed; Lelouch had been worried about her.

"Suzaku.." she said breathily. He turned his head back cutely to smile at her. "Thank you."

"What?" Suzaku blinked as he fully turned around to face her.

"Nevermind, I'm just going to wait by the door-"

"You two have been cleared for entrance to see his highness now." Said a man from behind Kallen. She spun around quickly to see the doctor smiling down at her. This smile further reassured her that Lelouch was alright. They both immediately headed straight for Lelouch's hospital room where he was still asleep, but clearly alive. Suzaku and Kallen allowed themselves to sit beside him while they waited for him to wake up.

Zero had just dropped Empress Tianzi and Xingke off at the Avalon where C.C. ditched the Zero costume and returned to being herself. She left in a different Knightmare frame and went straight to the hospital to visit Lelouch. When she walked through the door to Lelouch's room she was met with the sight of Suzaku and Kallen talking casually. She took it upon herself to sit next to them. At first neither of them said a word to her as C.C. continued to stare at Lelouch's sleeping face. He didn't seem exactly peaceful, yet he didn't appear to be in any sort of discomfort. He was likely drugged and full of pain killers. She half wondered if he'd be goofy or delusional upon first waking up.

"C.C., I need to ask you something." Kallen said and her voice stirred the witch out of her train of thought.

"Hmm?" she moaned softly as a reply.

"Zero mentioned having a special connection with Lelouch. What was he talking about?" Kallen demanded.

"He also promised to explain it to me, but he never got the chance. Care to fill me in?" Suzaku almost frowned. He didn't know Lelouch was so personally involved with Zero. It kind of scared him a little to be honest. C.C. kept quiet, thinking of either a lie to tell or if she should just come clean.

"You gave Zero and Lelouch their Geasses, did they sign the same contract, is that it?" Kallen asked again, but then immediately caught her mistake. C.C. turned to glare at Kallen almost evilly.

Kallen made a noise of surprise and clasped her hand over her mouth.

"Geass? Contract?" Suzaku asked dumbly.

"Don't worry Kallen, I intended to allow Suzaku to know about Geass eventually." She sighed and stood up. She slowly walked around to the other side of Lelouch's bed where she leaned over to pull the covers down to witness the wound for herself.

"What's Geass?" Suzaku asked at his eyes went from C.C. to Kallen.

"It's a super power I've given to Lelouch, Kallen and scarce others." C.C. said in monotone as she stared intently at Lelouch's gunshot wound.

"Also to Zero." Kallen added. "Wait…**scarce others**? You mean we're not the only ones?" Kallen asked as her eyes widened.

"You're all in on some super-power secret nonsense?" Suzaku asked as his eyebrows lifted in denial. He could have laughed, but he hadn't decided if the joke was funny or not yet.

"Suzaku." C.C. said as she dropped the blanket and stared Suzaku fiercely in the eyes. "I was the woman who was shot outside Tokyo palace. Kallen didn't believe it either, but it's true."

"Uhm…" Suzaku stifled himself. Kallen could sense that she wouldn't be the only one to be in denial at first hearing of Geass.

"Suzaku, she isn't lying. I found out myself that this is true. Everything she's about to tell you is the truth, whether you believe it or not." Kallen said as she placed her hand over Lelouch's still one.

"Okay, I'm listening, just entertain me is all I ask." Suzaku smiled knowing they were just trying to lighten the mood. He fully intended to call horseshit on anything this goofy woman tried to say. Normally Suzaku wasn't one for jokes, but the fact that Lelouch was alive and was going to be okay called for a celebratory laugh.

"Lelouch has a Geass power, he can mind control anyone he wants, but just once. I don't know what Kallen's is yet and-"

C.C. was cut off by the obnoxious sound of Suzaku laughing heartily. "You can't expect me to believe that, can you?" he laughed out thoroughly amused.

"Mmmnnn… Who's yelling…?" came a moan from the bed. Suzaku's loud laughing seized immediately and everyone turned to Lelouch.

"You're awake!" Kallen exclaimed as she stood up and leaned over his bedside.

"Good morning Lelouch!" Suzaku smiled down on his best friend. "Are you planning to _**mind control **_me into believe everything this woman says?" his voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You…You told him about Geass?" Lelouch's eyes flew open and he stared directly at C.C.

"I _**tried **_to, but he doesn't believe me." The cold woman said.

"So he's in on this too? Why do you want to trick me into believing such foolish ideas?" Suzaku's smile dropped into a frown again.

"I have just been shot in the chest, do you honestly think I'm in the mood to _**trick **_you into any pranks or jokes?" Lelouch scorned.

"Well no, but…. I just refuse to believe _**super powers **_exist." Suzaku said stiffly.

"C.C., what made you want to tell Suzaku of all people about Geass?" Lelouch asked as he attempted to sit up, but a pain ripped through his left shoulder and he fell backwards. "Augh! Damnit!" he hissed in pain.

"I wouldn't try to move just yet if I were you." C.C. said harshly as she flung the blankets up over his injured shoulder.

"Answer me!" Lelouch howled.

"When we first learned that you'd been shot they were worried you were going to die, so I assured them that our contract makes it to where I can sense who all I've given Geass to is alive or not." C.C. explained.

"Wait….Zero is the one who told us that, not you." Kallen's eyes widened. C.C. bit her lip.

"I…"

"You saw Zero today?" Lelouch asked bewildered.

"I'm sorry, I posed as Zero today to help Suzaku and Kallen accomplish the China mission." C.C. explained almost ashamed of herself. She hadn't meant to slip up like that, but there was no going back now.

"C.C. do you know how reckless you are?!" Lelouch growled at her.

"If you must know it was a good thing I went there with them. China doesn't have float systems and Kallen's and Suzaku's Knightmares are one-seaters. I used Zero's Knightmare Frame to pick Xingke and Empress Tianzi up since it can hold up to four people. So don't look too upset." C.C. returned Lelouch's glare.

Lelouch sighed in defeat, at least he wasn't entirely exposed. "Very well then, so the mission went well?"

"It went perfectly, not a single issue. We even got all the shipments and supplies already." C.C. smirked down at him.

"That sounds **too** easy…" he breathed out.

"_Father please! It could save Japan!" a young Suzaku cried out. The man sitting before him remained motionless except for his lips._

"_My son, you are far too young to understand such matters. In the end Britannia will be-nnn..nngnn…"_

_The man's words ended swiftly as the blade pierced his body. His voice taken from him and his life stolen by his only heir. Suzaku's final thoughts were of salvaging Japan's warriors._

'_Maybe if you just died, then the war will stop!' was the only thought in the boy's head._

"Haha! Next are you going to tell me she can **fly **too?!" Suzaku giggled madly. "Is she Super Woman?"

"Suzaku this isn't the time for playing around! Quit laughing!" Lelouch shouted.

"Y-you….You killed the Prime Minister…!" Kallen trembled. Suzaku's laughter halted to look at Kallen. Due to the angle Lelouch had to tilt his head awkwardly to look at her.

"Did you have another Geass vision?" Lelouch asked pensively as he eyed Kallen newly emotional state.

"You killed your own father?" Kallen asked again horrified. Suzaku's face nearly melted, his mouth opened slightly and his eyes became downcast.

"I… What are you talking about?" he asked in reply with a shaky voice.

"You thought you could stop the war by killing Genbu Kururugi, the Prime Minister of Japan. **You're the reason Japan was enslaved!**" Kallen's voice became dark and murderous at she upheld a glare at the now fearful Suzaku.

"Lelouch…what is she talking about?" Suzaku's took a step backwards.

"Did you do it? Did you really kill your father? I thought he commit suicide." Lelouch asked as C.C. helped him sit upright.

"I…I thought I didn't have a choice…" Suzaku glanced at Lelouch with panic then back to Kallen who was completely distraught. "Kallen, how did you find out?"

"She likely saw it with her Geass. Kallen's Geass ability is to see memories of those around her." Lelouch explained solemnly. C.C. took mental note of this, she had yet to learn what her Geass was previously.

"You honestly thought that killing him would magically stop Britannia from taking over Japan!?" Kallen roared as she advanced towards Suzaku.

"I was just a child!" he pleaded. Kallen stopped. Suzaku sunk to the floor on his knees as the first of many sorrows were shed form his eyes. "I didn't comprehend it all then. I thought if he died then Britannia would just leave, that the war would stop if Japan stopped fighting back. I see now the mistake I made and I fully intent to repent for it in hell."

Kallen, Lelouch and C.C. all stopped to watch Suzaku's mental break down.

"I joined the Britannian army to repent by death. I was hoping a member of the Japanese rebellion would kill me someday. I wanted so badly to fix all that I'd done wrong, so I started helping Britannia cultivate Japan into a new civilization so that they could coexist together."

"At what point in your _**repentance **_did you discover that being called an **Eleven **was anywhere near co-existential?!" Kallen screeched madly.

"I didn't…. I didn't want a world like that… I never dreamed the war would continue on like this…" Suzaku broke down completely and Lelouch could only look at him with sympathy.

"When I left Britannia, I vowed to annihilate it." Lelouch said as he looked away from Suzaku and towards a picture of the Britannian flag on the wall across the room.

Kallen and C.C. looked over to him in surprise.

"When my father allowed my mother's assassin to escape without so much as an investigation I swore to kill him. I fully intended to taker Britannia down with him too." Lelouch's confession did nothing to ease Suzaku, but it stopped Kallen from murdering him like she half-contemplated in her rage. Kallen wouldn't have ended up hurting Suzaku, but in her moment of wrath she wanted to.

"I see as though this would has some emotionally damaged _**Princes**_." Kallen sighed out miserably as she retreated to her seat to calm herself down. Lelouch closed his eyes and smiled at Kallen's reference to Suzaku being Prince-like just for being the Prime Minister's son.

"Lelouch…" Suzaku said through a small sob as he felt himself coming back to reality.

"Suzaku." Lelouch said as he turned back towards him expecting another confession about his past.

"What Geass-power would I get?" Suzaku asked boldly as he stood back up.

Certainly not the question Lelouch expected.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

On the Avalon Shirley had calmed herself for the most part and was introducing herself to Empress Tianzi. Nunnally shook Jiang's hand and smiled, Tianzi had never met a blind or crippled person before. She was delighted to meet so many people of other races, she'd only ever seen Chinese people and Kaguya in person before. Xingke stood back and smiled as he watched Empress Tianzi's dreams slowly become a reality. In his mind his mission in life was nearing completion. Shirley's phone from across the room began to ring again and this time she excused herself to answer it. Even thought she was still twisted on the inside over her brother, she was feeling much better after having heard Lelouch's good news. As she held up her ringing phone she froze. The caller on the I.D. list was her brother's personal cell phone. She figured it was probably the military calling everyone on his contact list to inform them of his passing. She took as deep, shaky breath before answering it.

"Hello…" she said quietly and slowly.

"Shirley! Thank god you answered this time!" the man on the other end of the phone shouted in a panic.

Shirley's heart flew into her neck; this voice…

"An….Andrew? Andrew! Andrew!" her voice transformed with a different emotion each time she spoke his name. Everyone in the room turned to see Shirley shouting.

"Shirley, don't believe anything you see about me on the news today! Everything is in chaos down there!" the man pleaded.

"Oh Andrew! I was so scared! I thought you were dead!" Shirley cried out in joy, although it sounded miserable. Milly heard what Shirley had said and let a smile break through as she ran over to Shirley's side.

"It's alright, just don't tell anyone!" he said frantically.

"What? Why?" Shirley's eyebrows were pushed together in confusion.

"No one can know I'm alive, just believe me! You can tell mom and dad, but no one else!" Andrew begged.

"Sorry old chap, but I heard it all." Milly said loud enough for the phone to pick up her voice and carry it to Andrew. "Also everyone in this room heard Shirley shout it too." She added.

"Shirley, who is that?!" he asked horrified.

"It's Milly Ashford and the only other people in the room are close friends and Empress Tianzi." Shirley answered as she scanned the room.

"Empress Tianzi!?" he hollered loudly. Shirley could then hear another man repeat 'Empress Tianzi' in a state of shock as well from the background of the phone.

"Andrew what's going on?" Shirley asked completely confused at this point.

"Listen to me Shirley, no matter what, you cannot tell anyone I'm alive! Not until I make a public appearance!" he commanded. Shirley could hear Andrew rustling with something as he spoke. "Try not to let the press or officials know! Keep your friends quiet!"

"A-alright, I'll try…but….What's going on? How did you get away?" Shirley asked as she shivered.

"I'll explain later, just trust me! I'll come visit you in private soon, just tell me where you are and I'll meet you there later."

"I'm… I'm in the Avalon above Tokyo." She answered unsure if it was safe to be telling outsiders of their whereabouts.

"Avalon?" he questioned quietly.

"Yes, it's a massive floating….ship. We're flying above Tokyo until the battle is over. I don't think you'll be able to get anywhere near us at the moment." Shirley sighed out in sorrow. She really just wanted to hug her brother at this moment, so much had happened and she felt the need to hold someone and cry.

"I promise I'll find a way to be by your side Shirley!" he swore as she heard another loud noise from his background.

"Andrew, what's going on behind you? Who's with you? Where are you?" she asked repeatedly.

"It's just an old friend, remember the one who'd come over for dinner every Thursday and show you magic tricks?" he laughed light heartedly.

"**Him**?!" she smiled warmly.

"Yeah, it's him. So don't worry, we'll be fine!" he smiled brightly, but she couldn't see it.

"Okay… I love you, big brother!"

"I love you too, sis."

As Shirley hung up the phone she turned around to Milly with the biggest smile she'd seen the orangette ever gave. As things aboard the Avalon began to calm down Lelouch and the other at the hospital had just begun wrapping up their conversation. Lelouch was standing up and putting on his new Emperor robes that they'd brought him. Kallen was trying to get Lelouch to lay back down and heal for at least a week, but he wasn't having it. He had already gotten up and put his white pants, shoes and undershirt on. Kallen continued to pester him repeatedly over 'resting' and 'reopening the wound'. Lelouch began to develop a headache, but he wasn't sure if it was from Kallen or the cocktail of medicines in his system. He was still slightly woozy from the anesthesia and his mouth was dry if not sand papery. Kallen approached him with the intentions of forcing him back onto the bed.

"Kallen, I'm fine. It's just my shoulder." He huffed as she struggled to tie his robe. She saw his failure at successfully dressing himself to which she grabbed the belt and tied it for him. Much to his surprise she was awkwardly gentle; not a Kallen he was used to seeing.

"We're back." Said C.C. calmly as she opened the door and walked in followed by Suzaku.

"Well?" Lelouch looked up at Suzaku expectantly.

"I'm not certain…" Suzaku rubbed the back of his head nervously. Kallen tilted her head.

"It's easy to use." Lelouch frowned.

"No I'm sure it is… I just was certain if I should accept or not." Suzaku sighed as he trudged defeatedly over to a chair and sat down.

"You mean…you didn't make a contract?!" Lelouch asked surprised, he was certain Suzaku would be willing to help him by accepting Geass. Even though C.C.'s big mouth pushed it along faster than he would have liked he wasn't opposed.

"I just feel like it'll end up badly." He groaned as he closed his eyes and hung his head a little.

"I felt the same way at first, but look what it's gotten me so far. We found out who murdered Genbu." Kallen said snarky.

"Exactly! I don't think Geass will help the world! It'll only make it harder for everyone!" Suzaku shouted.

"Hey! You said you wanted to repent for what you'd done, well this is your chance! Sell your damn soul to that devil-woman and help us create world peace!" Kallen exclaimed as she pointed at C.C..

Suzaku thought for a moment; Kallen had a point. If he was to truly repent he'd have to do more than simply die in battle.

He'd have to sell his soul.

"Fine, but on one condition." He stood up again and looked at Lelouch sternly.

"Name it." Lelouch said.

"Lelouch gives the orders of who I Geass. I won't use it without command or for personal gain." He said with a fierce stare into Lelouch's violet eyes.

"So be it." Lelouch looked away and continued readying himself. C.C. smirked, she normally loathed giving out Geass like free candy, but she knew that Suzaku was bloated with morality and wouldn't turn it against them.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

"Are you sure, Andrew?" said a young man with messy black hair who grit his teeth.

"Absolutely, and I intend to bring mayhem to their entire family if necessary." Andrew replied.

"Hey! That includes _them _you know?" the other man growled lowly.

Andrew and his friend were sitting in the back seat of a car while their escort drove them across Tokyo. Andrew's orange hair danced lazily in the wind when he rolled down his window. Normally these two didn't argue or disagree with one another, but this was far too serious of a situation to worry about 'friendship'. The world was in chaos and Britannia was having a civil war, or rebellion as Lelouch put it. Andrew had a mission to accomplish and he'd be damned if he let Shirley get hurt for the sake of anyone else. He got an idea and rolled up his window. He then leaned forwards and knocked on the protective glass that separated himself and his friend from the driver so that their conversations would remain private.

"Yes, my Lord?" the driver asked promptly.

"Go by the Grand Prima Restaurant, I want to see something." He ordered.

"If it is open to the public still, I shall drive you there my Lord." The man replied and Andrew closed the glass barrier. He leaned back in his seat where his friend gave him an awkward look.

"Why're we going there?!" he hissed at his friend.

"U.U. is there." Andrew replied.

"Wh-what?! Why is U.U. there? Shouldn't she be on her way to Rome already?" the black haired man asked as he leaned closer to Andrew.

"She supposedly is, but I can't just **feel **it. She's there." Andrew's expression became dark as his hands balled into fists in his lap. The other man backed away slowly, he feared Andrew's wrath when he was angry, even if he'd never been a victim before.

"Andrew, when are we going to pick up Rolo?" he asked pensively.

"After I get to hug my little sister. By the way, do you think you could help me get onto that flying airship thing that she's on?" the orangette asked.

"Mmm…maybe. Depending on if you know how to fly a Knightmare Frame!" the man laughed.

"You're joking right? I'm a goddamn Warrant Officer, of course I can pilot a Knightmare!" Andrew bellowed.

"But a _**flying **_one?" he wiggled his eyebrows demonically.

Andrew wasn't sure what to make of his friend's current expression, but the question he'd asked remained a valid one. The float systems were brand new; he'd have to learn quickly if he wanted to see Shirley. As the driver pulled up into the parking lot of the restaurant Andrew and his friend got out of the car and walked as casually as possible inside. Andrew wore a black fedora and sunglasses to keep anyone from recognizing him or his bright orange hair. He wasn't particularly famous, but his picture was currently circulating the news due to his supposed 'death'. Together they walked all around the seating area of the building until they found a young girl of maybe sixteen or so with long blonde hair.

"Told ya." Andrew said as he pointed at her. His friend frowned as he became worried.

"U.U.!" Andrew said harshly, but as quietly as possible from behind her. The girl jumped in slight fear and she whipped her head around to see who was calling her.

"A-andrew!" she stuttered.

"Why aren't you in Rome?" he asked seemingly upset.

"I wanted to dine here, just one last time. One last time…before I left **forever**…" she said sadly.

"You can come back at **any **time though! After this war is over you can come back and pester us for free dinner all you want." Andrew said sadly.

"I'm sorry, but…I was going to mail this to you before I left, but since you're here…" he said shyly as she pulled out a slim box from her purse and handed it to him.

Andrew saw it and his eyes went wide. "No… U.U. no…" he whispered.

She nodded her head yes before he pushed past him and ran out of the restaurant. Andrew slammed some money on the table to cover her bill and chased after her; leaving his friend behind in the chase. The young man sighed in misery and rubbed his messy black hair as a sign of stress. He casually walked out of the building and waited by the front door for Andrew to return from his pursuit. As he waited something caught his attention; a young girl of perhaps twelve with long pink hair and white clothes on strutting down the street opposite of him. He recognized her.

"_Princess Venus_?!" he mumbled to himself. His expression became wicked with hatred as he began following her slowly from behind. He stayed a good fifty feet away from her as he crossed the street to be on the same side as her. He watched as she rounded a corner into a back road. He stopped at the corner to eye her as she walked straight over to the building where the rally-shooting took place.

'_That's where me and Andrew-' _his thoughts were cut off by the voice of his friend.

"I lost sight of U.U.…" Andrew sighed out as he approached his friend. "Hey, what're you doing all the way over here anyways?" he asked.

"Princess Venus is acting sketchy!" He practically spat out. His voice was filled with hatred and practically murder.

"Chill out, she'll get what she has coming to her for what she did." Andrew placed a hand on his shoulder.

"But what the hell is she doing back as the scene of her own crime? You'd think she'd haul ass back to Pendragon, right?" he asked as he watched the young Venus stand in the middle of the alley facing the building of the shooting. She was looking up at the ledge in which she jumped off of earlier. Due to the shooting having been several hours ago and nothing to be found at the scene of the crime besides a bullet hole in the wall the investigation had been halted. Security around the building wasn't very tight since everyone was busy rushing around Tokyo looking for the teen assassin.

"Asshole…" she whispered to herself.

"You're right." Andrew squinted his eyes at her. "You'd think she'd never come near this place again, but I guess that old saying is true…. 'The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime'." Andrew said lowly.

"We should go kick her little ass!" he hissed.

"No!" Andrew placed his hands on his shoulders to prevent him from approaching her. "I wanna see what she does."

As they continued to watch her, they began to notice her odd behavior. She climbed on top of the dumpster's lid and began feeling the brick wall with her hands. As she pulled her hands away they were stained red in streaks. Andrew presumed it was blood, and then a sudden realization hit him.

"I didn't watch the news a whole lot, did you?" Andrew asked as his wide eyes stared at the side of Venus's head from over fifty feet away at the end of the alley.

"Yes, of course I did. I had to know if Lelouch-Chan was alright or not." The man replied as he turned to look into Andrew's emerald eyes full of dark-wonder.

"We know that Princess Zephne was killed in that shooting, why didn't they announce her death if they found her body? Are they keeping it a secret until this is all over because she's a Princess?" Andrew pondered out loud.

"You're right! When I posed you up there I saw her shoot Zephne before you. Why didn't they mention it?" the friend asked himself.

Andrew's heart skipped a beat. "Because they never found the body!"

"What? This is the scene of where Venus shot Lelouch, the fucking **Emperor**! They probably scoured that building top to bottom! Why wouldn't they find her body?" The black haired man asked utterly confused.

"Because someone moved it. Didn't she throw her in that dumpster?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah, but I assumed that the investigators would find it in no time, so I didn't bother with it." He frowned.

"Well apparently someone beat them to it. If she isn't in there when Venus leaves then I'll have you alert Lelouch about Zephne's disappearance." Andrew said and the other man nodded in agreement.

"Wanna get closer?" he asked with a smirk. Andrew gave a knowing smile.

They casually walked closer to Venus and stood behind her to get a better view of what exactly she was doing. She was looking around in every direction to make sure that no one saw her. She of course felt entirely alone even though unseen to her, two men stood directly behind her watching her every move. They watched as she used to white shirt to cover her hands as she opened the lid to the dumpster. She coughed and let go then it slammed shut. The horrid smell wafted to them all and they all gagged. Venus whipped around upon hearing men cough with her, but she saw nothing else in the entire alley. Andrew knew that they had to leave immediately and come back for Princess Zephne once Venus had left.

"Who's there!?" Venus screeched as she looked in every direction looking for the source of the male-coughing. She then heard footsteps moving away from her and she panicked. She couldn't see anyone near her, but she could definitely _**hear **_them.

As they men ran out of the alley and rounded the corner Andrew grabbed into his friend. "Why didn't….augh…you eliminate sound?!" Andrew choked out. "Or smell for that matter!" he added as he wiped his nose.

"I'm sorry! I didn't even think about it! Besides, smell wouldn't have worked on you!" the man shouted back as they continued to walk down the street a bit further. They eventually crossed the street and got back into their escort car.

"We'll hide in here until she leaves. Man that smelt awful!" Andrew breathed out loudly.

"Shouldn't we just report this to the police or something?!" he gagged.

"No! Absolutely not! We'll get caught in the middle of it all if we report it!" Andrew bellowed as he grabbed his friend's upper arm. "When Venus leaves we'll go back, see if there's any off chance she's still alive or not. If not we'll leave her there and you can tell Lelouch her body is there."

"And if she is alive?" he asked with a strange frown.

"We can't help her necessarily. If she recognizes me by any chance she'll spoil everything. I'll have you disguise me and yourself and escort her to a hospital or something. But we **cannot **interact with her too much!" Andrew warned.

"I'm going to visit Lelouch soon anyways, so I'll let him know about Zephne then."

"No, not yet!" Andrew put a hand up to stop him. "Shirley comes first."

"Of course she does…" he sighed softly.

"You know Shirley is my main priority, just like Rolo is yours." Andrew said stiffly.

"To be honest, I don't know if this all can continue on like this. Lelouch is Emperor, shouldn't he be made aware of our situation by now?" the young man said with a sad smile. "About me as well…" he added wistfully.

"We don't have time for your wishful thinking. Ever since Charles put Lelouch as Emperor it's been impossible for us to-"

"She's leaving!" the black haired man shouted as he watched Venus scamper away from the alley.

"Alright let's go!" Andrew said as they both ran from the car and across the street. "Disguise us!" he shouted back at his friend.

"Right!" he complied.

They ran into the alley and Andrew used his jacket to cover his hands as he opened the garbage bin. He put a bare hand inside to feel Zephne's neck. He gasped audibly when he found a very faint pulse. Together they pulled her out of the trash can and laid her on the dirty ground. The bullet hit her in the backside, but not her spine. Andrew carried her bridal style and proceeded to walk slowly out of the alley. Zephne's pink and white dress was soaked with blood, dirt and garbage. Her pink hair was a mangled mess and there was a candy wrapped lodged in it. They waited for the right moment and gently carried her out of the alley. The friend threw his black jacket over Zephne's head and upper chest in case any security cameras happened to be watching. They eventually made it to the car where they commanded the driver to floor it to a hospital in Kyoto. Tokyo's main hospital was impossible to access because of Emperor Lelouch's stay.

"Do you think she'll live?" he asked.

"I hope so." Andrew said as he checked her pulse again. It was steady, but weak. "She's lost a lot of blood, she won't live through the night without medical attention."

"Roy…" Andrew said softly as he looked down into the face of the unconscious Zephne.

His friend looked up at him expectantly.

"Your name is Roy Andreas." Andrew said as he looked at the black haired man. He said nothing, he simply looked down at Zephne who was now muttering to herself.

"Is she going to wake up?!" He asked as he placed a hand on her forehead.

Andrew shifted Zephne in his lap so that her head was more upright. "Roy." He said.

His friend looked up at him and swallowed hard. "Yes?"

"You are to t-"

"Whoo….." Zephne's gentle and quiet voice spoke as her violet eyes opened slightly. "Who…are you?" she asked with a hoarse tone.

"I'm no one." He replied. "Roy, disguise us!" he commanded in realization that she could now see them.

"R-right." Roy replied nervously.

Zephne looked up to see two blonde men looking down at her. She forced herself to open her eyes completely, but they just wouldn't obey her. The two handsome men smiled down at her as she tried to sit upright, but couldn't. A horrid pain shot through her and she screamed in agony. A glob of blood poured down Andrew's leg from her open wound.

"Princess! Don't try to move!" Andrew shouted and Roy tried to hold her.

"P-princess…?" she questioned with a shaky voice.

Andrew and Roy looked at one another.

"Miss, what's your name?" Roy asked as he eyed her expression.

"My...name..?" she asked herself. "I'm…. I…"

"Where are you from?" Andrew asked.

"I… I don't know. I can't…remember…" she said weakly as her eyes slid closed and her head tilted into Andrew's arms.

"Don't tell me…" Andrew began as he gave Zephne a look of horror.

"She must've hit her head when Venus threw her into the dumpster. It's probably temporary, she's probably just dazed and confused." Roy said as he wiped a trail of sweat off of her forehead.

"We can't administer her under the name Princess Zephne like this." Andrew said as he held her head closer to his chest.

"Why not? She **has **to get medical attention immediately!" Roy barked at him.

"We'll take her to the Black Knight's medical base instead." Andrew said as he tapped on the glass barrier between them and the driver.

"Wait Andrew! There's too many security cameras! We'd be spotted in an instant!" Roy hissed.

"The…Black Knights…?" Zephne asked gently as her eyes remained shut. "Who… Who are they?"

"Miss, just go back to sleep, we're going to get you help. Don't worry." Andrew commanded.

The glass window slid open and the driver replied to them. "Yes my Lord?"

"Turn West at the next bridge. Drop us off at Point A. Since the rally crowd is still dying down take Route four." Andrew commanded and the driver complied. The window was shut again and Andrew looked down at the pain streaked face of Zephne who had fallen back asleep.

"Judging by how she responded to Venus shooting Lelouch I don't think she's an enemy." Roy said as he went to wipe away from dirt from her cheek and neck.

"No, I don't think she is either. I bet Cornelia and Euphemia will be worried about her shortly when the head of her security team reports her missing." Andrew said as he watched Zephne's chest heave with each breath she took in sharply.

"Roy, change into costume when we get to the base. Run in holding her and I'll change into my uniform in the back of the car." He ordered.

"Alright, but what excuse are we going to use for having her taken in to our medical base?" Roy asked.

"She's a new recruit; she was hit in combat by a rogue Britannian soldier that was obeying Cornelia's orders. If she still can't remember her name when she wakes up for good then we'll assign her a name." Andrew stated as he looked out the window to see the bay. They were now over the bridge heading towards Tokyo's Black Knight Base. It would be a mistake to bring Zephne to the Kyoto hospital like planned because it's ran by Britannians now. They would easily identify her and pinpoint them as her assailants. It was best to bring her to the Black Knight base where no one would recognize her. As the car pulled up over the bridge Roy leaned under his seat and pulled out a massive black suit case. He opened it to reveal a complete replica of Zero's costume. He began changing in the backseat of the car. He waited until they were nearly all the way to the base before putting the mask on.

"Alright, **Zero**, it's time to do our job. I'll meet you in the medical wing. **Don't **leave." He ordered.

Roy simply nodded and took Zephne from him carefully. When the car stopped Roy exited the vehicle slowly with Zephne in his arms bridal style. He used his foot from behind him to slam the door closed so Andrew could change into a Black Knight member uniform. He carefully, but very quickly, carried Zephne inside. He was allotted in and they immediately took Zephne into the medical wing to begin surgery to remove the bullet. Roy waited in the Zero costume patiently for Andrew to return. He stood motionless as he leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. Misfortune befell him when Ougi happened across him and flew over to his side.

"Master Zero! The news is about to show us another broadcast on Emperor Lelouch's condition! You should watch it with us!" Ougi stammered loudly. His heart was racing. He feared that Lelouch wouldn't able to remain Emperor with a chest injury, even if he was going to live. He feared what would happen to Japan should Cornelia become Empress.

"I already paid him a visit. He's fine." Zero said in monotone.

"He is? I mean I know they said he was fully expected to live, but do you think he'll still be able to command a war?" Ougi asked worriedly.

"Yes. Lelouch is a very strong person. He'll be back at his throne by tomorrow, if not tonight. A bullet from a child won't stop him from being Emperor." Zero said rudely almost. To Ougi it felt as though Zero was either being arrogant in his belief that Lelouch is infallible, or if he believed Lelouch was some sort of God.

"You're certain?" Ougi asked mostly rhetorically.

"Positive, he'll be making the next news announcement himself if I'm not entirely mistaken." Zero said as he propelled himself off the wall to stand upright. Andrew walked up beside him casually with a uniform on. The visor hid his face, but not his bright orange hair. He'd hoped that no one would question his light skin and hair.

"Zero, we've gotten a few Britannian recruits in the last month because of Emperor Lelouch's reign. Is the girl you took to the medical wing also a new recruit? She's entirely Britannian!" Ougi asked.

"That's classified information as of this moment. I would like to wait for her to wake up, but I'm afraid I don't have time. The sun is setting very quickly and there's someone I'm supposed to meet with later on this evening." Zero explained.

"Yes please, we need to hurry Master Zero!" Andrew pleaded.

"Right then. Ougi, your orders are to make sure the girl we brought in tonight is to not speak to anyone. Not even for medical purposes. Her identity is to not be revealed to anyone. She might have a slight case of amnesia at this moment, but she'll be fine otherwise. If she wakes up call me specifically on this phone number. Do **not **call my regular number. If you have information regarding **anything else** then you can call my usual phone." Zero ordered as he handed Ougi a slip of paper with the number on it.

"Got it, but may I ask why?" Ougi frowned as he glanced at the new number.

"I won't have my mask on for the rest of the evening, so I don't want phone calls getting mixed up. There are times when I can talk about Black Knight issues and other times when I cannot. This is just my method of sorting out who's calling and for what purpose." Zero explained then turned his back on Ougi.

"Got ya…" Ougi whispered to himself mostly.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

"Is it done?" Lelouch asked impatiently as Suzaku walked back into the room. The solemn look on the Knight's face gave Lelouch his answer.

"It is. Now how do I use it?" Suzaku asked as he readied himself.

"It'll come naturally to you. I figured mine out instantly, Kallen however is still having trouble getting it to activate when she wants it to." Lelouch explained.

"Alright then, let me try it." Suzaku said then took a deep breath and held it for a moment. Lelouch recognized the Geass symbol in his eyes and grinned.

"You got it so easily." Lelouch said with a smirk.

"I did?" Suzaku blinked.

"When I first got mine I immediately gave the command for an entire troop to commit suicide, it was so easy!" Lelouch said menacingly.

Then he froze. Suzaku gave him a terrified look. Kallen moved from beside Lelouch and to Suzaku's side.

"You used it for murder?!" Kallen cried out.

"I didn't….even mean to say that!" Lelouch stuttered and his mouth remained open slightly.

"Is it even true? Did you actually use it to command someone into suicide?!" Suzaku asked angrily.

"Yes, but they were Britannians who were trying to kill me and C.C.!" Lelouch retorted. Suzaku scowled.

"What other crooked things have you done with that Geass?!" Suzaku demanded.

"I once made Donut Taco Palace III give Nunnally a free ice cream cone!" Lelouch said hotly. He then twitched slightly.

"You used it to steal from a fast food joint?" Kallen blinked. "That's not **that** bad…"

"I mean whose lives have you ruined with your Geass?!" Suzaku demanded as he grabbed Lelouch by the collar.

"I killed Clovis, and the guy I Geassed into allowing me into his royal chamber escort was executed for it." Lelouch replied.

"Y-you're…. You're the one who murdered Clovis? I thought Zero admitted that!" Suzaku let go of him. He'd contemplated hitting him, but he remembered his injury and decided against it.

"Make this stop!" Lelouch grabbed the sides of his head.

"Wait Suzaku!" Kallen put her arms out and stood between them. "I already knew that. Lelouch confessed to that earlier, he's only letting Zero take the blame for it to make Zero seem better in the eyes of Japan. Lelouch **had **to kill Clovis! He was destroying Shinjuku and everyone in it! It was just a massacre!" Kallen tried her best to defend him.

"Then tell me this!" Suzaku began. "Why did you continue to follow Zero when you found out he was murdering everyone?"

"Because he promised to free Japan! I stayed by his side through the harshest battles because I loved him!" Kallen exclaimed louder than she meant to.

Kallen's heart rate increased, what did she just say? Lelouch's eyes opened wide and he looked over to the back of Kallen's head where he could see her visibly shaking. Suzaku's eyed transfixed on Kallen trembling mouth.

"I didn't….. want to say that…." Kallen allowed herself to sink to the floor. Lelouch felt an empty pit form in his abdomen. He couldn't' describe how he felt about Kallen's confession, but he certainly felt like his insides were churning with some sort of heavy emotion. It wasn't that he exactly returned Kallen's feelings, but his views towards her suddenly changed immensely. He would now become far more worried about her in battle than before. He'd send her out on less and less dangerous missions and he'd even keep her closer to his side. But no matter how many times she'd come back successful from a mission, she'd always be more important than necessary for commander and soldier.

Her romance towards him in his Zero persona forever changed the balance of their personal and official relationship.

"Just because you were in love, you followed him to hell and back?" Suzaku asked her again, disregarding her terrified reaction entirely.

"Yes, and I'll keep doing it! I'll keep obeying him until he no longer needs me and tosses me aside!" she replied instantly.

"Lelouch!" Suzaku turned to him. "Why did you make your pact with Zero like this? Why did you trust him so much?"

"Because I **am** Z-"

"Suzaku stop!" C.C. flung herself into Suzaku's' back and clasped her hands over his face desperately. Suzaku struggled to get her off, but she was incredibly strong for such a petite woman. "Turn off your Geass!" C.C. commanded.

"It's not even on!...Is it?" he yelled as he grabbed her by the wrists. "Wait…" he stopped struggling. "Was everything they're saying because of my Geass?" Suzaku asked.

C.C. forcefully turned him around and let go of his face. "Turn it off!" she commanded again. Suzaku complied and the Geass symbol vanished.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was still active." He turned to face Kallen and Lelouch who were still traumatized.

Lelouch desperately pried the window open and leaned his head out of it. He began to lurch forwards and expel the contents of his stomach. He ignored the massive throbbing in his left shoulder. Even though he was loaded with pain killers and morphine, he was still in a considerable amount of pain. He was lucky that his blood type was 'A positive' and he could receive most blood donations. He'd originally lost a lot of blood, but the transfusion covered that. He felt a bit dizzy and nauseous, but retained his composure and closed the window. Kallen pulled herself off the floor and staggered over to a chair next to Lelouch who was still leaning against the closed window. He wasn't sure if he'd thrown up because of the medicines in his system, or if he'd really been in that much emotional distress from Kallen's confession and what was nearly his own about being Zero. Either way he felt much better now that he'd gotten at least some of it out of himself.

"I'm sorry everyone. I didn't realize my Geass was making you guys say all those crazy things." Suzaku bowed to them in a traditional Japanese form.

"I need to talk to C.C. **alone**." Lelouch muttered out with a shaky voice. "Kallen, Suzaku, why don't you two go tell the press that I'm awake and active. I'll be back to working on the rally in no time." Lelouch commanded.

"But you just got **shot**! You can't be up and running around like that!" Suzaku retorted.

"**I said get out!"** Lelouch shouted harshly. This made Suzaku jump slightly, but he wordlessly complied and he grabbed Kallen by the upper arm to drag her out of the hospital room.

"Let go of me!" Kallen hissed and she wriggled out of Suzaku's grasp.

"I very rarely see Lelouch yell like that. Something we've said must have truly upset him. I bet it was my Geass…." Suzaku looked down to the ground sadly as they reached the elevators. Kallen pushed the button on the elevator signaling that they wanted to board it while Suzaku wallowed in his own thoughts.

'_I bet he's upset about Kallen's confessing to being in love with Zero. I've always known he'd had a thing for her. I bet it was hard for him to hear such a thing. I teased him back at his coronation party about how he had the 'hots' for her and everything. I saw the way he blushed at her when he saw her again. Now I just feel ashamed of myself.' _Suzaku thought morbidly upset with himself. The guilt began to consume him.

"I'm sorry.." Suzaku whispered incredibly quietly. Kallen just barely understood what he'd just said.

"Don't feel too bad. My Geass is entirely uncontrollable. I'm practically **useless **to Lelouch and Zero." Kallen placed a hand on the trembling man's shoulder. She had recovered quickly from her own confession because she'd seen it coming sooner. She just wished she could have ultimately confessed to Zero directly first. Then something hit her imagination.

"Suzaku…" she began as they entered the elevator. "Your Geass doesn't make others spout out useless lies or random stories." She said boldly as the elevator doors closed. He looked up at her with hope.

"Then what is it?" Suzaku asked.

"The Truth Serum." C.C. said to Lelouch. They were still back inside the bedroom that Lelouch woke up in. "Suzaku's Geass forces anyone within his hearing range to tell nothing but the absolute truth." C.C. explained as she sat down next to Lelouch in the chairs beside the window.

"This is **bad**." Lelouch stated stiffly. "**Very, very **_**bad**__!_" he grimaced. "He could ask the wrong question at the wrong time. He could potentially undo me if he really wanted to."

"Yes, I know. This is why you should tell him ahead of time. Just tell Suzaku everything and there won't be an issue with his Geass." She tried to reason.

"No! You heard what he said, you saw his reaction to Kallen's affection for Zero! He'd reject me entirely!" Lelouch roared.

"Well I can't be your secret punching bag forever! You **have **to let someone else know the truth! Suzaku is the perfect person! Once he gets over his initial reaction to learning you're Zero you can then rebuild whatever trust is lost by helping Japan and the rest of the world!" she said as she stood back up and posed herself directly in front of him. They were lucky that the entire wing that Lelouch's hospital room was in was void of any outsiders and all the nurses had been called off for Lelouch's private conversations.

Lelouch looked up at her arrogantly. "Even if I were to ever consider telling Suzaku such a thing it wouldn't be now! Not in our current situation!"

"I understand that perhaps **now **is a bad time, but you need to consider it. Where you simply going to stop being Zero or give it to someone else? Or do you intent to be Zero and Emperor for the rest of your life without telling anyone?" C.C. asked as her eyes bore down at the disgruntled Lelouch.

"I was…." He paused to look down at his own feet in thought. He hadn't really thought that far ahead yet. "I didn't exactly have a plan so far. What I do know is that as of this moment Suzaku will become an obstacle if he ever decides to disobey me. He said he'd only use his Geass per my command, but he used it without even realizing it earlier. That means he probably has poor control over it. It would be a disaster to tell him that I'm Zero now."

C.C. kneeled down before him on both knees and wrapped her arms around his slouched form. "We have time, don't worry. Just focus on healing for now. After you make your speech to the press that you're alright you should just go home and sleep."

He pushed her away gently before becoming angered. "What about Cornelia? What about the rebellion at hand? What about the soldiers who are waiting for orders above Britannia!?"

C.C. was taken back slightly. You'd think a man who'd just been shot would be lazy and eager to rest, but Lelouch wasn't an ordinary man she supposed. "I don't believe I can stop you at this point." C.C. sighed as she stood up to tower over him again. "If you're going to continue the war with that sort of injury then do so. But you'll be breaking our contract if you die out there." She said sternly as her uncaring gold eyes gave him a leer.

"I'm not going to die C.C.. I'm going to defeat Cornelia and take over Britannia for real. I'm going to the palace to massacre that brat V.V.. Then….when this is all over…" he paused dramatically to look up at her with a burning rage in his purple essences. "I'll put an end to all wars across this Earth; **my** **own way**."

C.C. wasn't sure what he meant, but she didn't have a good feeling about it. Lelouch was one who could easily be a saint or a demon depending on who angered him and why. She'd have to stay as close as possible to Lelouch from now on.

Suzaku and Kallen had exited the elevator and were now on their way to the front of the hospital where the majority of Japan's press had lined up. They were instantaneously bombarded with microphones and flashing lights of cameras. They were barraged with question after question before Kallen and Suzaku couldn't take it anymore. They began giving orders to 'back up' and to 'stay behind the roped off lines' to everyone within the perimeter. Although their constant question asking never halted, the reporters were calmed. Suzaku wasn't in his exactly mental frame to answer any questions, he feared that his Geass would activate on its own. This left Kallen to make all of the announcements.

"Everyone quiet, that's an order!" she shouted harshly and most of the press obeyed. Aside from the clacking of cameras, rustling of microphones bumping into one another and heels hitting the ground there wasn't much noise aside from Kallen herself.

"I'm not going to be answering many direct questions, I have orders to give the following statement." She cleared her throat as every microphone and camera was aimed at her.

On the Avalon everyone watched and waited for any news about their beloved friend. Cornelia in Britannia's mainland too watched in slight desperation to hear good news. Andrew and Roy also watched from their portable screen inside their flying Knightmare as they headed towards the Avalon to see Shirley. The world once again turned on their televisions and huddled around it, just to hear news of the Emperor of Britannia. It was usually rare to hear news of this magnitude on such a short notice, but Lelouch simply refused to operate under normal conditions. He needed chaos to thrive and dramatic effects to function.

"His highness, Emperor Lelouch of the Holy Britannian Empire was shot in the left shoulder today. He recovered quickly from surgery and he will **absolutely** live." Kallen said in her utmost serious and unemotional tone. Most people took a sigh of relief from this. They already knew hours ago that the doctors expected Lelouch to live, but hearing it from his new Knight was a much better relay.

"He is also planning to return to command by tomorrow morning. He has refused hospice and has deemed himself capable of remaining in control of the current rebellion in Britannia." Kallen added.

"Knight of the Emperor, Kallen Kozuki!" a reporter woman shouter and rammed her mic closer to Kallen's face. "Tell us! Did the bullet hit any vital organs?"

"No, it may have appeared that way from the initial shot, but it was only his shoulder. It was not a life-threatening blow." Kallen stated. She knew she wasn't supposed to answer any off the wall questions that were irrelevant to the current situation, but she also felt that the press and the world deserved to know that their Emperor was going to be absolutely alright. After the death of Genbu Kururugi, Prime Minister of Japan, she knew how it felt to not know what her country was going to look like the next morning. It was an awful and agonizing feeling.

"Kallen Kozuki! Where were you at the time of the gunshot?" another reporter asked.

"I was out on a mission to prepare Japan for the rebellion." She replied instantly, she wasn't allowed to speak of China.

"Why wasn't there enough security around the perimeter of the rally? How did the guards let this happen?" a man asked. Kallen was taken back a bit, she wasn't quite sure how to answer this one. Suzaku saw her apprehension and stepped in.

"It was my fault." Suzaku said lowly. "I was scheduled as head of security at the time. I was busy guarding Princess Euphemia and Lelouch's inner circle. Since the rally was so rushed we simply didn't have the time to block off the East street of the rally."

"Suzaku Kururugi! The body of Andrew Fenette was reported missing at the scene of the shooting. Is there any new information on this?" a reported asked with their microphone awkwardly in his face.

"N-no. Nothing has changed on that situation." Suzaku said as he gave the reporter a stare down. The reported backed off and didn't ask any other questions. Suzaku was reluctant to allow anyone to mention Andrew, he knew he was Shirley's brother and with every mentioning of his name it must tear Shirley's heart out even further.

"Kallen Kozuki, do you plan to become a consort wife?"

"**H-hell no!"** she blushed madly and gave the reporter a death glare. Suzaku had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing. He was secretly thankful that the reporter had asked that, it made the depression from earlier dissipate somewhat. Then it hit him, the memory of Kallen's confession for Zero. The depression immediately returned and his hands dropped from his mouth to his side.

"We're done answering questions for now. We've answered most of the important questions and his highness will be here momentarily to make a formal speech regarding the current situation." Suzaku said as he turned around to head back inside the hospital. Kallen followed suit and together they left the reporters asking questions rapid-fire in their wake. Just as they entered the front doors, which weren't see-through so the press outside couldn't see inside, they spotted Lelouch and C.C.. The four met up and decided it was safe for Lelouch to make his formal speech in the front of the hospital. As Lelouch stepped forth out to the front of the hospital he made sure to make the press conference short.

"I will be alright, I assure you that whoever is the cause for this will be brought to justice as soon as they're caught. However I cannot dwindle my time on a single person while the fate of the world remains undetermined by the rebellion at hand. I will continue operations of the rebellion in the morning and everything will continue as planned then." Lelouch spoke stoically as he usually did.

"Your highness!" a reporter shouted. "You don't appear to be harmed at all! Are you in any pain?"

"The doctors and nurses at Tokyo Hosptial behind me did a very excellent job. I am in little discomfort, but this will not hinder my efforts to save Japan and Britannia from the clutched of Cornelia!" Lelouch answered.

"Emperor Lelouch, there was a report from China that Empress Tianzi is missing and the High Eunuchs have all been assassinated! Was this any of your doing?" Another reporter asked boldly.

"Yes, it was at her highness', Empress Tianzi, request that I assist her in being restored to power. I will answer no further questions about China." He said simply.

"Your majesty! Your majesty! Were you close friends with Andrew Fenette like you are Shirley Fenette?"

"No, I can honestly say that I've only met him on two occasions. We were not close at all, but I am still upholding a search party for him." Lelouch said.

"Emperor, did you-"

"I'm sorry, I have no more time for questions now. I have to return to my post to further give instructions to my subordinates." Lelouch immediately turned his back to them ignorantly as he remained calm and collected. He allowed Suzaku and Kallen to escort him back to the limo where they were taken back to Tokyo Palace.

The Palace was seemingly void of life except for Kaguya and Ruri who were running rampant around making phone calls, signing bills and quickly arguing politely over what should be done. They had quickly found their 'dynamic-duo-rhythm' in no time and were already settling things between China and Japan.

"If Ougi was declared Prime Minister, why isn't he here helping us yet?" Ruri asked as she flipped through a stack of paper frantically.

"Lelouch may have declared him Prime Minister, but he can't come into office until he is sworn in!" Kaguya replied as she signed a document. "And that won't be until tomorrow morning!"

"How will he have time tomorrow if he's guiding the Black Army into battle?" Ruri asked wide-eyed.

"I…" Kaguya stopped her hands from fiddling with the papers. "I don't know…. Lelouch is far too fast-paced for everyone. He's working so fast….we can't keep up. I don't know what Ougi will do, but it better be fast!" Kaguya whimpered with a worried look as she began signing more papers.

"If we have a Vice-Roy and Sub Vice-Roy, then why do we also have a Prime Minister? Also, wouldn't Suzaku have of made a better Minister?! He was Genbu's son after all!" Ruri asked as she ran over to Kaguya's desk with an arm full of files. She pulled up at seat at Kaguya's desk and began helping her flip through the files.

"The Vice Roy is the voice of the Emperor, the Prime Minister is the voice of Japan and you are** my **voice for when I can't speak!" Kaguya answered as she only took a single moment to spare to give Ruri a reassuring glance. "Suzaku is already Euphemia's Knight, he can't be a Minister **and **a Knight!"

"I see… Wait, isn't this the Chinese shipment form?" Ruri help up a stapled packet of papers. Kaguya's eyes went wide and snatched it from the older woman.

"Yes! This is what I asked you to look for!" Kaguya exclaimed happily as she began to sign an acceptance to the forms. "With these China can cross our borders to help us fight off Cornelia!" Kaguya grinned as she held up the completed forms. She leapt from her chair childishly and ran out of the office and down the halls of the large palace. Ruri ran after her, unsure of what was actually going on at this moment. All she knew was that China was here to help them and that they needed documents stating that they'd be welcomed and unharmed should they cross the Sea of Japan. As Kaguya flew down the hallway in her flowing kimono she ran smack into a familiar face.

"Suzaku!" she squeaked happily and mauled him.

"Kaguya, now isn't the time. Lelouch is here to orchestrate his next plan. We need everything for the Chinese-Japanese alignment to be ready." Suzaku gently nudged her away.

"I've got it right here!" she beamed as she held the stack of stapled papers up to his face.

"That was a lot faster than I thought." Suzaku said simply as he took the papers from her.

"When can I go see Tianzi?" Kaguya's emerald eyes lit up brightly.

"If Lelouch dismisses you and Ms. Kozuki for the evening, then I suppose you could. She's aboard the Avalon at the moment." Suzaku answered.

"Hoooray!" she cheered. "Where is King Lulu?" Kaguya smiled.

"It's **Emperor Lelouch**." Suzaku said sternly as he stared down at her. "And he's in his office probably."

Kaguya made a squeal of delight and made her way to Lelouch's office where she was permitted entrance with Ruri behind her. Lelouch was currently on the phone so they were forced to sit next to Kallen and C.C.. Lelouch spoke irritably about some political matter that Kaguya wasn't privy to, thus she ignored his blathering. Kaguya fully enjoyed just being in Lelouch's presence, even if she knew she annoyed him. Perhaps she didn't annoy him as badly as she once thought, especially since he appointed her Vice Roy of Japan. She giggled at the thought of Lelouch 'adoring' her and praising her for working so quickly on the documents and bills. In her mind Ruri and herself made an excellent team for Japan; just like Lelouch predicted. Kallen took note of Kaguya's extremely happy posture.

"Kaguya, weren't you worried about Lelouch's condition earlier?" Kallen asked. She hadn't heard word nor whisper of Kaguya during the whole event, and now she sees her being happy as can be.

"Ohh! Of course I was! I _cried and cried and cried and cried _for two hours!" Kaguya pouted cutely.

"It's true….she did…" Ruri sighed miserably. She'd had to hold and comfort Kaguya while she flew into a fit of tears and screaming; not Ruri's favorite moment of the day.

"Mother, I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble." Kallen smiled bitterly. Ruri looked up at her daughter and felt a warmth in her chest.

"Not at all. I'm just glad I can help you and his highness." The woman smiled back.

"Kaguya." Lelouch spoke up as he hung his phone up loudly. Kaguya made a loud squeak of surprise. "Where is the Chinese-Japanese affiliation?"

"I gave it to Lord Suzaku!" she chirped.

"Did you finish it?" he asked with an uncaring glance at her.

"Indeed I did! He's probably taking it to…to…" Kaguya stopped. She's only just realized that Lelouch was supposed to have the document, not Suzaku. "To you…" she hung her head in defeat.

"It's fine if it's with Suzaku. All that's important is that it's completed. Now then…" Lelouch stood up, but jerked his body roughly. He clutched his left shoulder and groaned slightly. C.C. stood up and ran over to his side and forced him to sit back down.

"Lelouch, I wouldn't use that arm at all. In fact it should be in a sling." The witch stated.

"What good would a sling do? It's not like my arm is broken." He sneered up at her.

"That's ire-"

"Lelouch!" Suzaku practically broke down the door to get into the room and everyone jumped in reaction.

"Holy shit Suzaku!" Lelouch shouted. "What's so important that you have to-"

"Shirley's brother just arrived at the Avalon." She panted and he gave Lelouch an awkward expression of fear.

"So he's alive then?" Lelouch calmed himself.

"But that's not what's so bad." Suzaku gave him a horrified look. Lelouch waited patiently for Suzaku to catch his breath.

"What's weirder than Andrew Fenette technically being alive?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow.

"He's with **Zero**." Suzaku panted out. He'd run from the underground department all the way to the top floor where Lelouch's office was. He was incredibly winded. "He's claiming to be a member of the Black Knights and he's…he's here to warn you Zero intends to lead the Black Knights into battle today…**with or without you!"** Suzaku panted harshly. Lelouch's face could not have been more terrifying to C.C.. She knew that whoever was pretending to be Zero was an absolute phony; an imposter.

"Change of plans." Lelouch said darkly as he stood up and brushed C.C. off of his arm. "We're going to the Avalon to speak with him. **Immediately.**" Lelouch said demonically and stormed out of the room. As she walked through the doorway he grabbed Suzaku by the arm and dragged him out of the Palace like a caveman with his woman. Everyone else followed them out of the Palace and they were escorted to the Avalon. Kallen prayed that there would be no conflicts between Lelouch and Zero.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

"Oh Andrew!" Shirley cried out in joy as she embraced him. "I thought I'd never get to see you again!"

"It's okay Shirley. It was just a misunderstanding." He hugged her back as he wrapped his arms around her. "I can't stay long though. No one can know I'm still alive." He whispered into her ear. "You and your friends will be an exception."

"Hey, Andrew." Milly said from the couch. He looked over at the blonde. He presumed her to be the girl Shirley was talking to in the background when he was on the phone with her.

"Yes?" he replied.

"How long have you been a member of the Black Knights? Have you really been a terrorist this whole time?" she asked bewildered.

"Don't call him a **damn terrorist**!" Shirley screeched madly at the now baffled Milly.

Andrew sighed deeply. "I joined the day Lelouch became Emperor." He answered.

"Oh I see, it was because you knew an alliance would come of it?" Milly allowed herself to relax a little.

"Well to be honest… I didn't know what would become of the Black Knights once Lelouch eliminated the number-area system." He began as he separated himself from Shirley. "But…" he swallowed hard then paused. Shirley looked up at him expectantly.

"But what?" Shirley asked innocently. Andrew couldn't take the adorable look on his beloved sister's face; she deserved an answer.

"But I wanted to work my way into Zero's inner circle so that should there be conflict between Japan and Britannia I could be a part of the decision making process that dictated if there would be a war or not. I'm glad I joined now that there's an alliance and I can protect both Japan and Britannia." He explained as he lead Shirley over to the couch. Zero remained standing motionless, wordless, in the middle of the room. It was almost awkward to Milly to see him just….**standing there**, being Zero. Empress Tianzi kept staring at him expectantly. Nina had fled the room and had no desire to be in the presence of a man who rose an army against Britannia.

"So why do you have this massive desire to protect Japan?" Milly interrogated with a raised eyebrow.

"Because when I was in Junior High I met a Japanese man, he changed my life. I used to be arrogant, selfish and stubborn, but he taught me things I would never forget. He taught me self-discipline, to respect others and even how to understand others." He folded his hands together tightly. "I used be a spoiled **brat**! I was rich, from a famous family and I had everything a kid could ever want. I was a spoiled child who didn't know the meaning of fear or anguish."

"So wait, how did you meet this Japanese man?" Shirley asked as she blinked her teary eyes up at him.

"That's….another story." Andrew smirked down at her.

"Big brother, what do you plan to do now?" Shirley asked as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Zero and I will return to the Black Knight base where we'll be helping the military find the person who tried to assassinate Emperor Lelouch. We'll also be orchestrating the attack on Cornelia. I'm afraid my time here is running out." Andrew said as he stood up as if to leave, but Shirley grabbed onto his arm and clung to him desperately.

"Wait! I want to talk to you in private for a minute!" she pleaded.

"Alright, but it has to be quick." Andrew agreed and Shirley led him to her bedroom she shared with Milly and Lucina on board the Avalon. "There aren't any surveillance cameras in here, are there?"

"No. Which is why I brought you here." She began then took a deep breath. "Is Zero the Japanese man who helped you in junior high?" she asked boldly.

"Yes." Andrew replied flatly.

"Is he also…._**him?**_" Shirley asked and Andrew gave her a confused tilt of the head. "You know…_**Zero**_."

Andrew gave a disgruntled expression and a small noise of peril. "Sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'? How can someone 'sort of' be someone else?" Shirley asked with a frown.

"I can't tell you who Zero really is!" Andrew said louder than he meant.

"I promise I won't tell anyone! I'd rather die than betray you!" Shirley begged as she gave him a distressed look.

"I know that, and that's exactly why I can't tell you. You're too kind hearted to betray anyone. If I told you then you'd be in danger and you'd refuse your own life just to keep it a secret." He sighed softly as he looked down at her little sister with empathy.

"Does Lelouch know you've been with Zero all this time?" Shirley asked solemnly.

"No, and you are not to tell him that either. Only Zero knows who I really am. No one else." His upper lip stiffened at the thought of Shirley discovering the truth.

"I… I'm so scared!" Shirley cried out as her shoulders shook slightly.

"Look, take this." Andrew smiled down at her as he pulled out the long slender box that U.U. had given him earlier. "I want you to have this."

"What's is it?" she asked bewildered as she accepted the gift.

"It belonged to a **very **good friend of mine. It's very old and precious, but it's useless in my hands. I want you to keep it with you always. It'll **protect you from evil**." He smiled gingerly as Shirley began to open it.

Her chartreuse eyes sparkled as the piece of ancient jewelry was met with her vision. It was a golden chain with rubies in the loops and a massive Ankh in the middle. The ruby in the middle of the Ankh was shaped like a bird and sparkled regardless of the lighting. Unbeknownst to Shirley, this symbol was the Geass bird in which symbolizes the Power of the King. He took it from her hands and placed it around her neck where he clasped it together. He smiled warmly at her, she was beautiful. In his mind Shirley, his precious little sister, was the most beautiful woman that ever lived. Maybe he was biased because his favorite hobby was doting upon her, but his opinion remained absolute in his mind. She looked up to him with the wildness of her emotions shown in her emerald eyes. She hugged him tightly and he eagerly returned the embrace. He let his hands brushed through her hair as he whispered to her.

"Don't ever take it off, not for anything. Sleep with it, eat with it, bathe with it and go to school with it. Just keep it hidden when you're in public; hide it under your shirt." He said slowly. "It will protect you as long as you wear it."

"But, how? It's jewelry…" she frowned and moved out of the hug gently.

"Just trust me, it's made with _**his **_magic!" he winked. Shirley's expression became bright and bubbly as she nodded.

"Alright!" she agreed.

"I have to go now. Zero and I have some things to sort out. I **will **be back!" he gave her a cool and reassuring smile and she laughed silently to herself. Her big brother was always 'cool' and loving in her mind. With a quick kiss on the cheek he left her and returned to the living room. Shirley stood in the room and admired the Ankh necklace in the mirror. It was a tad big, if not a bit gaudy, but she loved it none the less. As Andrew entered the living room he noticed that Zero was nowhere to be found.

Lelouch however looked quite pissed.

Andrew grit his teeth, this was bad; **very bad**. He hadn't expected Lelouch to board the Avalon at all during the war. He needed to find Roy and haul ass out of the Avalon as soon as possible, but it was too late. Lelouch glared directly at him and Andrew nervously made his way towards him in preparation for a confrontation. Andrew swallowed hard and nonchalantly took as seat between Milly and Euphemia on the couch. He awaited Lelouch to begin speaking or shouting, but he remained silent. Andrew kept his eyes on Lelouch, neither looked away. At this point Shirley returned to the living room expecting Andrew to be gone already, but was pleasantly surprised, if not ecstatic, that Andrew **and **Lelouch were there.

"Lelou!" she shouted and ran up to him, but he put an arm out to stop her from reaching him. He didn't want her mauling him and opening the stitches in his shoulder. She froze before him and took note of the angered expression on his face.

"Andrew Fenette." Lelouch spoke out calmly.

"Yes, your highness?" Andrew replied almost fearfully. He hadn't prepared a plan for running into Lelouch, worst of all he has absolutely no clue where Roy posing as Zero was.

"Where's _**Zero**_?" Lelouch requested flatly. Even though his voice was calm and collected, his eyes told stories of pure evil demons and untainted fury.

"Honestly, I don't know where he went." Andrew answered as calmly as he could contain himself.

It was during the stare down between Emperor and soldier that C.C. caught a glimpse at Shirley's new necklace. Her sun-gold eyes surely betrayed her. It wasn't possible for Shirley to possess such a thing, she couldn't even begin to imagine where she'd gotten it from. If she had to guess it'd be from Andrew or 'Zero', but even then she didn't have the slightest clue as of how they would of gotten such a thing either. Lelouch cleared his throat and made his way to Andrew's side where he gave him a very malevolent expression.

"Where could I possibly find him?" he asked at the orangette who was shying away from the Emperor.

"I don't know, I can only hope that he wouldn't abandon me here." He said truthfully. He really did wonder if Roy had ran from Lelouch and left him there like a piece of meat.

"Then maybe you can fill in for him and answer a couple of questions for me." Lelouch began as he sat beside Euphemia so that she was between them.

"Gladly." Andrew complied.

Lelouch looked back to Suzaku and gave him a hand signal. Suzaku knew immediately that this was the new code for him to use his Geass. Suzaku's Geass activated and Lelouch chose his words carefully.

"Who is Zero?" Lelouch asked darkly as his amethyst eyes glared directly into Andrew's emerald ones.

"I don't know." He answered. Lelouch squinted.

"Lelou, I don't-"

"**No one speak except him!**" Lelouch commanded loudly and Shirley immediately closed her mouth. Andrew returned the evil glare upon hearing Lelouch yell at his beloved sister. Even if Lelouch was Emperor, he didn't appreciate people being rude or harsh towards Shirley.

"Where is Zero now?" Lelouch asked again.

"I already told you, I don't know." Andrew said flatly.

"What are your plans that I heard about earlier? You meaning going into war with to without my permission. Is this true?" Lelouch asked.

"Maybe. It wasn't **my **command, it was Zero's." Andrew knew he was on thin glass here. "All I know is that Zero is eager to protect Japan in your absence should you be unable to give commands."

"That will be **my **call, not his." Lelouch snarled at him. "So tell me, how did you fake your death like that?" he asked and Andrew's expression changed dramatically. He wasn't expecting this question at all.

"I didn't. It wasn't even me up there. I don't know what went on out there today, but I wasn't involved." Andrew said as he glanced at Shirley who already knew it was a lie. "I was never atop that building nor was I stationed at East street. I was out with my troop readying ourselves for battle as per your command." He said as he returned his stare to Lelouch.

"Now let me ask **you **a question, your highness." Andrew smirked. Lelouch give another hand signal behind his back to tell Suzaku to turn his Geass off and he complied.

"You may." Lelouch granted permission.

"I wish to make a deal with you." Andrew began and Lelouch became very alert. "If you guard Shirley as much as you possibly can, I will become your servant on the battlefield. In exchange for Shirley's ultimate protection I shall tell you where Zero is on an in-demand basis. He is quite an elusive character and I am always by his side. This is one of the rare moments in which I can honestly say I don't know where he's wandered off to. I can however reassure you that Zero would be willing to comply with you should you simply ask."

Lelouch was speechless for a moment. The serene look on Andrew's face seized his anger and reminded him that he's not supposed to know that the Zero here today isn't' the real one.

"Very well then, I accept." Lelouch said with great vocal. Kallen sighed a little in relief, she could rest assured that Lelouch and Zero would continue to cooperate with one another. "On one condition though." Lelouch added and Andrew looked up at him expectantly.

"Name it." Andrew smiled.

"Zero will reveal his identity to me." Lelouch demanded with a smirk. Kallen tried to remember exactly what Lelouch said during the meeting about whether or not he knew who Zero really was, but she could only recall him saying something very vague.

Andrew laughed nervously. "I can't very well make that call on my own. He'd have to comply all on his own to that one!"

"Well go find him and bring him to me, privately." Lelouch demanded as he stood up. "I'll be in the main office of the Avalon for a little while, when you find him send him there." Lelouch said as he began walking away from the living room.

"Of course." Andrew bit his lip.

There were two things absolutely gnawing at Andrew. One was that it was very strange for Roy to run off without a damn good reason. The second was that he wasn't sure if Roy would be willing to reveal himself to Lelouch so soon on such short notice. The time was ticking and Rolo shouldn't be left alone for so long. Andrew needed to think of a way to either get out of this mess or to trick Lelouch into agreeing to let him leave the Avalon to find Zero. Andrew stood up and made a gesture at Shirley. He used his left hand to hold the collar of his black shirt open and used his right hand to put something imaginary inside the shirt. At first Shirley was completely baffled before she realized that she hadn't hid her necklace as previously instructed. She quickly complied and escorted Andrew around the Avalon in hopes of finding Zero. Meanwhile; Lelouch watched Andrew's movements very carefully from surveillance. He watched as Shirley lead Andrew to every room around the Avalon, but it wasn't until C.C. cleared her throat that Lelouch ever looked away.

"You know that necklace Shirley was wearing…" C.C. began as she leaned back in her chair with one leg bent up.

"Hm?" Lelouch mumbled at he focused entirely on all twelve of the security screens. He was also looking for signs of Zero.

"It's a very rare and ancient artifact. I don't know how she or perhaps Andrew got ahold of it, but I would keep an eye on it." The woman said as she hugged her bent leg.

"What's so special about it?" Lelouch turned around in his chair to give her a perplexed look.

"Did you even see it?" she asked flatly; slightly annoyed.

"No." he replied simply and turned back to scanning the screens for Zero.

"It's a Geass Ankh." C.C. said with a knowing smirk. Lelouch turned slowly towards her with a grave stare.

"A **what**?" he asked mortified. Just what had Andrew done to Shirley?

Through the speakers of the surveillance cameras Lelouch could hear Andrew swearing that he'd submit to Lelouch in order to protect Shirley forever. As he continued to spout praises and swears of oath at Shirley, Lelouch returned C.C.'s intense look.

"A Geass Ankh. It grants the wearer one of eight abilities. I don't know which one that particular Ankh gives, but I can guarantee you that Shirley is well protected wearing it." C.C. explained and Lelouch's plum eyes transfixed on the witch's eyes.

"What possible abilities could it give her?" he asked pensively.

"There is one Ankh for each thought elevator and one thought elevator for each code of immortality. I only know of five of them, there were three that I never learned about. They are temporary immortality, immunity to all Geass effects, a temporary Geass power, access to a thought elevator and…" C.C. paused for the sheer dramatic effect from Lelouch. C.C.'s playful expression ceased.

"The ability to talk to _**God**_."

_**Bolmung LK: I'm sorry this chapter took four months. I had a lot of real-life issues to deal with. (I always do….) I also had sympathy pains in my left shoulder while writing, lol! I'd like to let you all know that dw77 and I have come to an agreement; we wish to change the name of the story from Named Heir to one of two titles we've picked out.**_

_**We would like you all to vote via review, if you even chose to review at all, between our two new titles.**_

_**dw77's title: The Second Solomon  
Bolmung's title: The God King**_

_**Chapter five's author note will announce the winning name! **_


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